The Dawn of Igneous
by Quaxxi
Summary: A tragedy has taken place, leaving the great city of Inkopolis in ruin. It's the responsibility of a mysterious inkling to reveal how these events occurred. The Apocalypse can be traced back to two siblings, who are making their first journey, to the then prosperous city. They will soon learn that they are tied with these tragic events, but is it soon enough?
1. Chapter 1 - The Beginning

**An inkling stands in the middle of a ruined city. A city where thousands of young inklings once used to congregate with each other, now abandoned, as all citizens had fled elsewhere. This place… was known as Inkopolis.**

 **The famous Inkopolis Tower, or at least, what is left of it, lies destroyed. The shaft of the tower has fallen onto what used to be a news studio. Sharp glass litters across the plaza, and nearly all of the concrete is unearthed. Black clouds hang in the sky, watching over the remains of the plaza, the distant sound of thunder occasionally booming.**

 **The inkling has pale skin, in stark contrast to his tentacles, which are jet black; and he wears unconventional clothes: a black jacket and jeans. His facial expression is nearly non-existent; it merely reflects his feeling of emptiness. His eyes are wet with tears, as he stares unbelievingly at the figure before him…the lifeless body of someone he loved.**

 **The black-haired inkling falls to his knees with his hands over his face. Where did it all go so wrong? he thinks to himself. I don't deserve this… WHY?... WHY ME!? a voice silently screams in his mind. He throws himself onto the inkling's body and hugs him, sobbing profusely black tears, repeatedly slamming his fists into the ground, until his hand is raw and bleeding. He rolls onto his back, staring lifelessly towards the sky. Regret constantly stings his mind, as he whispers over and over: "I could have saved him… I could have saved him… I could have saved him…"**

 **He then closes his eyes, as a last whisper escapes his lips.**

 **"Where did it all go so wrong?"**

* * *

The sound of an alarm clock blared in a teenage boy's bedroom. The confused Inkling woke in his bed and groggily slapped at his clock. He looked at the time, which read 7:00 AM.

"Ugh, why so early?" he asked to himself, rubbing his eyes. He blinked, and shielded his eyes from the morning light. The sunrise cast a warm glow throughout his room through his window, and shone right on his calendar, which indicated the first day of summer vacation. "Oh..." he faltered and threw his covers off of him. Standing up, he began looking for his shoes. He had pink tentacles, tied up in the typical male inkling look, and a pair of obsidian-colored eyes, with skin that resembled the color of beach sand. "Sweet, it's summertime! Wait, then why can't I sleep in?" he questioned aloud with a furrowed brow, as he was sure he had disabled his alarm clock after graduation. As if on cue, his door swung open with a bang.

"Morning, Iggy!" his older sister beamed, as she marched into his room.

"GAH, what-are-you-doing-in-here?" He sputtered, as he dove into his covers, startled.

"Hahaha! I'm not that scary, am I?" She teased him with a puzzled expression. She had long Magenta Hair, with eyes like amethyst. She wore a Berry Ski Jacket, Pink Trainers, and the Squid Nordic Hat. Her skin was the same tone as Iggy's. She was staring at him expectantly with crossed arms.

"Maybe knock first next time?" Iggy suggested before rubbing his eyes. "And hey, were you the one who messed with my alarm clock?" he asked with a scowl. She chuckled, and reached for her jacket pocket.

"Ah, shut it dingus. Guess what I got today?" she said as she proudly pulled out two train tickets.

"WHAT?" Iggy's exclaimed, his face lilting up in surprise. He jumped up to inspect the tickets. They were about the size of a credit card, and the golden hue shimmered in the light. Each ticket had an image of an inkling girl waving from a train, and in the distance, a familiar tower was pictured. "I can't believe it! You finally saved up?" he asked her in disbelief.

"Yup," she responded, trying not to shake with excitement. "That's right bro, we finally can go to the Inkopolis. In fact, we're leaving right after breakfast!" she beamed with her chin raised high. Iggy was shocked. He knew this day would come, but he never thought about what it entailed: he was moving out to the big city, all on his own… except for his older sister, Sam, who he would be stuck with probably forever.

"I can't believe it…" Iggy trailed off, falling into a daze. The young inkling pondered about life in Inkopolis, the people he would meet, the Turf Wars, the shopping. But best of all, the Splatfests, the big debates where he would have the chance to compete with other kids in an all-out battle binge.

"Well, hurry up and believe it!" Sam giggled, as she skipped out of Iggy's room. The boy immediately rushed to his closet. He picked out his freshest set of clothes, and stood in the mirror to see his outfit in its entirety. He wore a Squidmark LS, and Crazy Arrows. He didn't care much for headgear.

"IGNACIO! SAMANTHA!" His mother called from downstairs. "BREAKFAST IS READY!" she yelled. Iggy took one last look in the mirror, and hurried out his bedroom door. Sam came out of her bedroom, with her backpack in her hands. She noticed Iggy, and grinned mischievously.

"Wow, bro. You are SO unfresh," she joked.

"Oh, whatever!" He barked at her. She just laughed at his reaction.

"KIDS? HURRY UP!" Their mother called. The siblings exchanged excited looks, and they both hurried downstairs. The smell of fresh bacon, eggs, and pancakes was in the air.

"Ah, there you are. Have a seat you two," their mother ordered to the siblings as they emerged from upstairs. She pointed over at the kitchen table, where their food was waiting for them. The kids walked over, and sat at the table.

"Looks good, mama. Thanks for breakfast," Iggy said with a polite smile. His mother gave him a warm smile back, and began washing dishes.

"Alright kids, we should review today's plans…" their mother started. The siblings exchanged annoyed looks.

"Again, ma? Ugh…" she complained while rolling her eyes. "I'm sixteen! I know what I'm doing!" she protested.

"You two will be staying in my old condo, a two-minute walk from the plaza," she responded, ignoring her daughter. "Greenfield Condominiums," she stated.

"How could you afford to buy out that suite?" she asked their mother. "I thought you sucked at Turf Wars," she teased with a devilish smile. Iggy choked on his milk and hardly stifled a laugh. Their mother whirled around with a stern look.

"Young lady, apologize this instant! Or you can stay with me!" she threatened, pointing at the dirty dishes.

"Sorry, mama" she giggled. She began eating her breakfast. Iggy chewed on his pancakes happily. He pondered about his what his first turf war would be like.

"Hey mama, are turf wars hard? I mean, were you nervous for your first one?" Iggy asked hopingly.

"Well as long as you give it all you've got, there's nothing to be afraid of, mijo," she said reassuringly, while she continued scrubbing.

"Aw… is my little Iggy-wiggy scared of Turf Wars?" Sam teased, smirking at him. Iggy glared daggers at his sister.

"I told you not to call me that!" he whined, punching the table. She grinned, knowing that she successfully pushed his buttons.

"IGGY-WIGGY GONNA GET SPLATTED," She yelled playfully and pointed at him.

"We'll see who gets splatted!" he muttered. He grabbed his fork, and quickly used it to fling a piece of his pancake at her face. She ducked and it hit the wall behind her. Their mother stomped in frustration of her children's behavior.

"EY, IGNACIO GALIANO!" she bellowed. "You're going to clean that up, jovencito," she ordered, while shaking her head. Iggy sighed in defeat, and stood up to go clean the mess. He glared at his sister. He took a scrubbing brush from the sink and started scrubbing the wall where his projectile landed.

"Hey, I'm just teasing you, bro," she said to him, surprised by his behavior.

"Get it all off," she commanded, watching her son clean up the mess. Suddenly, a troubled look appeared on her face. "You kids better keep in touch with me, I don't want you two to do the same as your older brother," their mother said sternly.

Instantly both young inklings looked down at the ground, clearly uncomfortable at the mention of the topic. Their older brother left to Inkopolis four years ago, and they never saw or heard from him again. It wasn't something commonly spoke of in their home, but anytime he was brought up, it killed everyone's mood.

"Don't worry, mama. We will talk to you, and we'll visit too," Sam said with an upset look on her face. Iggy watched her nervously. He always looked up to his older brother, and missed him. But even though Sam missed him as well, she was livid with him for abandoning the family.

"Alright kids, the train will be arriving at the station soon. It's about time to go," their mother insisted, changing the subject. The kids nodded, and cleaned up their spots at the table. They joined their mother at the door, and put on their backpacks.

"We're ready!" the siblings said in unison.

"Now listen kids," she started, putting her hand on each of her children's shoulder. "You two are to look after each other. You can go off and do your own things as you please, but let each other know where you are occasionally. Inkopolis is a big city, but you can do almost anything in the plaza, so you shouldn't have to wander off too often," their mother said to them.

"Yes ma'am!" they both said. Their mother smiled happily, before turning to Sam.

"Now, you are to be very careful out there, young lady. Always remember who you are, and that you respect yourself as a strong, young woman. Those boys only want one thing, you remember that," she said as she nodded.

"Alright, thanks, mama," Sam said quickly, looking away awkwardly.

"Ugh…" Iggy mumbled, grimacing at the thought of what his mother was insinuating. She turned to look at him.

"Iggy, treat the girls you meet with respect, and don't let their cleverness get the best of you. Be kind, but don't let your eyes wander. And the most important thing, don't ever feel like you need to be someone else to impress somebody," she insisted. Iggy's face turned bright red. Sam noticed and grinned at her brother's discomfort.

"R-Right," Iggy stuttered dismissively. Iggy noticed Sam's instigating and sneered at her. Their mother raised her chin and gave a small smile in approval of her children.

"Good luck," she whispered with tears in her eyes. They all hugged one last time.

"Love you, ma," Sam whispered, trying to not cry. The warmth of the hug made Iggy feel safe.

The kids walked out the door into their neighborhood, and the road to the train station was waiting for them. They turned back to their house one more time.

"Bye mama!" they said in unison, giving one last wave goodbye. Their mother waved back, with a proud smile on her face. She closed the door. The siblings exchanged excited looks.

"Looks like it's just us now. Let's go baby brother!" Sam announced happily, as she skipped down the path to the train station. Iggy rolled his eyes in annoyance, before proceeding to follow her.

As they walked, Iggy was on his phone reading an article about Ranked Battles, while Sam skipped at his side whistling Songs by the Squid sisters. Iggy noticed her goofy walk.

"Ugh, Sam, could you please stop? I seriously don't want to get mugged BEFORE getting to Inkopolis," Iggy groaned.

"Oh, quit being so negative!" she giggled. "If we get mugged, I'll take 'em out like THIS!" she yelled, karate-chopping the air.

 _We're doomed,_ Iggy thought to himself. Sam looked ahead, and noticed the station was only a few blocks away. She punched Iggy's shoulder, and said inkling looked up from his phone, annoyed.

"We're almost there!" Sam exclaimed.

…

They arrived at the train station that would take them to the city, and both of them looked around in awe of the massive station. The inside was shaped like a dome, supported by tall metal posts, and through the middle of the dome was a track that led into a tunnel. Sitting on top of the track was a sleek silver train, and the electronic label across the front of the train read 'Inkopolis.'

"Wow," Iggy said, impressed with the size of the station. "I didn't expect it to be this big," he said, still looking around.

"That's what she said," she chimed, while mischievously grinning at him.

"Yeah… wait… what the hell?" he asked, caught off guard by her immature joke.

"HA!" she laughed. "Come on dork, we're gonna be late for the train," she said before slapping his arm.

The siblings walked over a kiosk, where they scanned their tickets.

"Have fun in Inkopolis kids," the clerk said, smiling at them. The inklings thanked the woman, and walked over to the train waiting for the train doors to open. After a moment, something caught Iggy's eye. He looked over to see that a male inkling was walking towards them.

"Out of the way!" the inkling said, rudely pushing other people aside. Sam noticed him, and narrowed her eyes.

"What's this dude's problem?" she asked Iggy. They watched as the rude inkling walked right over to them.

"Move!" he yelled, shoving Sam, who stumbled and fell to the ground.

"Ow! Hey!" she protested.

"Hey!" Iggy yelled, turning in anger at the offender. "What's your problem, freak? Come back here!" he roared at the older inkling. Sam stood up, and brushed herself off. The subject stopped in his tracks, and whirled around, narrowing his eyes at Iggy.

"You think you're so tough, kid?" he hissed, as he marched over to the boy who had dared yelling at him. Iggy's grimace soon became a terrified expression. The older inkling, who was much taller and a few years older than him, grabbed his shirt collar and slammed him against a post.

"OW!" Iggy cried, wincing in pain. "Puh-please j-just leave us al-alone," he squeaked. The inkling realized the people around him were watching with worried looks. He released Iggy in defeat and stared into his eyes with rage.

At this point, Iggy sized up the inkling. He had green tentacles and emerald eyes. He wore a Green Zip Hoodie, Moto boots, and a Skull Bandana. Iggy looked back into his eyes, waiting for what he would do next. A slight look of alarm appeared on the older boy's face, and he got a gleam in his eyes. A small smile appeared on his face.

"Found you," he whispered. He then threw a hard punch right in Iggy's chest.

"AGH!" Iggy yelped in pain, falling to the ground. Sam gasped, and stomped over to the green inkling.

"I'm calling the police!" she roared.

"Heh. Good luck in Inkopolis," he replied with a deadpanned expression. He took one last look at Iggy, then stormed away, the surrounding inklings avoiding eye contact with him. Sam shook her head, but remembered her brother, who was still on the floor clutching his chest.

"Iggy, are you alright?" she spoke to him softly, reaching her hand out to help him up.

"Ugh, yeah I think I'll be ok," he groaned. He grabbed her wrist, and she pulled him up. Sam tried to inspect Iggy's chest, but he swatted her away. The train doors opened, and inklings began to file inside. "Alright, let's just go," he said to her.

The siblings boarded the train. The inside was similar to a city metro, but with more seats. Sam pointed to two empty seats, and the two made their way over to the unclaimed spots. They slumped down in their seats, Iggy near the window, and Sam towards the aisle. They both sighed in unison.

"Way to start our first day…" Sam grunted in a sarcastic tone.

"Hey, look on the bright side," Iggy said. "We're finally on our way!" he said optimistically. The train doors closed, and the train began to move slowly. Sam leaned forward to look out the window, pursing her lips.

"Bye home," she said quietly, leaning her head on her arm. The train entered the tunnel, and after a few seconds of darkness, they emerged on the other side, and Iggy watched as the train departed their hometown.

The remainder of the train ride was a quiet one, with Iggy clutching his chest trying not to cry. Sam noticed he was in pain, and broke the silence. "Iggy, are you sure you're feeling okay? What happened back there looked really painful," she said, concerned.

"No, it's fine," he replied, giving her a reassuring look. "I'm feeling better already sis, really," he lied. He didn't want her to think he was such a baby. In reality, the pain was nearly unbearable.

Iggy decided to stare out the window, trying to distract himself from the terrible sensation. He thought about living on his own, finally being able to make some friends. He thought about Callie and Marie. He thought about meeting Judd, the cat. He thought about shopping for clothes in the Booyah Base. He thought about the Splatfests. He smiled to himself and closed his eyes.

 _Maybe I can fall asleep,_ he thought. The slight rumbling of the train was soothing, and he could hear his own heartbeat, and he closed his eyes.

Lub-dub…

Lub-dub…

Lub-dub…

…

SHRIEEEK!

…

BOOM!

Iggy shot up in his seat with a start. He looked around worriedly and realized the train was demolished and on fire. He looked at his hands, which were covered in pink blood. Panic started rushing in, as he realized all the other inklings had disappeared. He looked down the aisle next to him and saw an inkling lying face down on the floor…with magenta tentacles. His heart dropped, and he began hyperventilating.

"SAMANTHA! SAMANTHA?" he shook his sister. No response. He began bawling uncontrollably and yelling his sister's name. "SAMANTHA THE TRAIN CRASHED, WE NEED TO ESCAPE!" he yelled desperately.

But there was no response.

"NO!" He cried. _What the hell happened?_ he questioned himself. _I don't deserve this,_ he thought.

They should never have gotten on the train. They should never have abandoned their mother. They should never have done anything.

"Kid."

Iggy heard a familiar voice. He looked over at the source of the voice. An inkling was trapped under the rubble of the train, with blood pouring out of his mouth. It was the green inkling who was shoving everyone back in the train station. The inkling coughed and looked deep into Iggy's teary eyes.

"Welcome to Inkopolis," he said, a grin appearing on his face.

"N-N-No… I-I…" Iggy stuttered.

"Iggy." A muffled voice called out. The boy looked around desperately for the source.

"Iggy." The voice repeated more sternly. The voice seemed to be all around him.

"Iggy! Wake up!"

…

He woke and jumped up, wide-eyed. He nervously glanced at his surroundings. He was still on the train, and it was completely intact. A whirring sound could be heard from the train's engine. He could feel the light rumble of the locomotive. There were no signs of fire, rubble, or the green Inkling. He looked next to him to see Sam, completely unharmed, looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"W-What? What is going on? Sam? Huh?" he demanded groggily.

"Uh, Iggy? We're here!" she exclaimed. Iggy blinked, trying to regain his composure. He looked all around the train. Nothing was out of the ordinary. Seeing this behavior, Sam narrowed her eyes. "Hey, what's with you? You look stressed out, are you nervous? she asked.

"Wait… but I thought that…" he faltered, furrowing his brow in confusion. _What the hell just happened_? he wondered to himself. He remembered his sister's question. "Uh… No, Not nervous. You just startled me," he told her. Sam shrugged, and stood up from her seat.

Iggy thought about the crash and shuddered. He peered out the window to try and regain his bearings. The train was slowing to a stop right outside a populated plaza. He stood from his seat and approached the nearest door. Sam glanced at him with an excited smile. The train finally stopped, and seconds later, the doors slid open. Iggy looked ahead, three words clear in his mind.

Welcome to Inkopolis.


	2. Chapter 2 - Settling In

"LET'S GO!" Sam shouted at the top of her lungs.

All the inklings stormed out of the train, cheering in excitement of finally arriving at the big city and living on their own. Iggy and Sam ran right into the middle of the Plaza, yelling a battle cry. Iggy grinned at the sight of Inkopolis Tower, as it was his first time seeing it in person. The Great Zapfish was laying around the tower as always, just doing whatever it is Great Zapfish do.

"YEAH, IT'S TURF WAR TIME!" Sam yelled like the world could hear her. Iggy's eye twitched as he covered his ear, yet he couldn't suppress a smile.

"Yeah, I guess so, sis," he chuckled. "But hold your seahorses. We have to go to the condo first!" he exclaimed. Sam's face went from excitement to disappointment.

"Aww what? But we just got here! Why do we have to do the boring stuff now?" she pouted. Iggy had an idea and smirked.

"Well, I'll just go by myself then. You go ahead and come by later. But by then, I already would have picked out my room," he said devilishly. Sam's confidence immediately faded.

"Fine, you clown!" she snapped in defeat. Iggy smiled smugly, then pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket that his mother gave him before he left. The paper had the address of their condo, the room number, and various information to help them settle in.

"Ok it looks like it's a two-minute walk, west," Iggy stated. Sam squinted her eyes towards some distant buildings to the west.

"…Yeah I see it! It's right there!" she said, pointing at the buildings.

"Alright, let's go! Iggy shouted.

"Not so fast!" an elderly voice called out. Both of the kids jumped, and turned around to see a strange old man. "Aren't you forgetting… THESE?" he yelled, as he promptly grabbed two colorful pieces of paper from his shirt pocket. Sam looked down and read the coupons.

"…Full body massages?" she said with a grimace.

"Alright, I think we'll pass, man," Iggy said, shooing the old man away. He cackled and scurried away, towards Inkopolis Tower.

"What a freaking weirdo," Sam chuckled. Iggy shook his head, but grinned.

"Well you know what they say…" he started. Sam looked over at her younger brother, and she waited for him to finish.

"Um, what do they say?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"…Uh, never mind," he mumbled sheepishly. She raised her arms in confusion, and he shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Okaaay. Off to the condo then!" she replied, slapping his back.

"OW, Geez! Why are you always so physical?" Iggy complained, arching his spine.

The two started walking towards the distant buildings, Iggy once again with his face buried into his smartphone. Sam glanced over at him, and rolled her eyes.

"Dude, come on. We're in INKOPOLIS. Why are you still on your damn phone? You're basically drooling!" she huffed.

"Uh-huh," he hummed pathetically, not looking away from the screen.

"What are you even looking at anyway?" she asked with a scowl. "Naked girls?" she teased. Iggy blushed and glanced around the area, making sure nobody heard her comment.

"What are you THINKING?! Learn to shut your mouth sometimes!" he fumed, clearly embarrassed. She giggled at the color of his face.

"Then what are you staring at so passionately?" she asked with a laugh. Iggy handed her the phone. Sam looked at the article that Iggy was reading. It was a page that described the famous Splatfests, a monthly celebration where two teams are pitted against each other to settle a dispute. The website depicted images of inklings in battle, as well as some posing victoriously.

"There, happy?" Iggy asked her. He reached his hand out, wiggling his fingers. "Alright, now give it back," he ordered.

"Wow you really are excited for Splatfests, Iggy," Sam commented. She looked at his coaxing hand, and a smile appeared on her face. "You'll have to catch me first!" she yelled at him, sprinting away with his phone. Iggy jumped, shocked by her sudden actions. He started jogging after her.

"Hey! Give it!" he protested, but he still couldn't help but chuckle. He was still having fun. Bystanders watched as the siblings chased each other through the city. They were approaching their condominium at incredible speed. Iggy heaved, running out of breath. "Alright Sam," he panted. "I can't… run… any… longer," he leaned his hands on his knees, panting. Sam noticed him, and walked back to where he was resting.

"Wow, bro. You've gotten out of shape. I remember you used to chase me around the backyard all the time," she chimed, slightly out of breath herself. She looked back at the now distant Inkopolis Tower. "Still though, Turf Wars should get you back in your a-game," she admitted. Iggy wheezed a few more times, before looking up at his Sister.

"How much further?" he asked her hopefully.

"See for yourself," she said with a smile, showing her sharp teeth. She then gestured her hand towards their apartment building. Iggy glanced up, and a look of amazement appeared on his face. Now only a few feet away, the siblings could see the structure in its entirety. The building itself was wooden, painted beige, with forest green accents along edges. To Iggy, it looked about twenty stories tall.

"Wow, that is the biggest condo I have ever seen!" Iggy said in awe.

"Huh, wooden structures in Inkopolis? That is rather old-fashioned if you ask me," Sam said with a furrowed brow. "Still, it is impressive nonetheless," she added. Iggy scanned the building, and noticed the front door.

"Looks like we'll enter there," he said, pointing at the entrance. The kids walked across the street, to their new home. The automatic doors opened as they approached, and they entered the lobby. Inside, the walls were painted with the same forest green coloring on the outside. There were few inklings wandering about, and conversations flourished in quiet tones. The room smelled of cedar.

"Whoa!" Iggy said as he sized up the lobby. On the left wing, there was a snack bar and a concierge booth. The large front desk stretched across the back wall, and most of the staff members were busy speaking with other residents. The right wing was labeled with a sign that depicted an elevator, and a staircase.

"Wow, ma never said she was living in luxury," Sam whispered, dumfounded by the excellence of the complex. Iggy nodded, also impressed. Sam noticed one of the front desk managers was available, and tugged on Iggy's sweatshirt.

"This way!" she shouted, pulling him towards the front desk. The poor boy squirmed, trying to break free. The young woman was typing away on a computer. She was wearing a tuxedo with a lime bowtie. The sound of Iggy's struggling broke her concentration, and she glanced up at the two kids approaching her. Iggy broke free when they reached the counter, then dusted himself off. The clerk sized up the two inklings, and gave them a welcoming smile.

"Good morning!" she greeted them. Sam smiled with her teeth, and Iggy gave a small wave. "You two must be new faces, I don't recognize you," she stated. Sam nodded at the clerk, and snatched Iggy's info paper right out of his pocket.

"Yes, we're the Galiano kids, and we will be staying in room…1884," she recited from their mother's notes. The clerk typed something into her computer.

"Ah, yes. Your mother put your registration into the system. Here are your room keys," she said, reaching into a compartment under the desk. She revealed two card keys, and scanned each one, assigning them to room 1884. Sam eyed the cards eagerly. They were a metallic green, with a pine forest pictured on the front. The woman handed each of them their own card key. Iggy looked at the card up close, raising his eyebrows. He was impressed by the detail of the design; each tree was slightly different from the rest.

"Thank you very much!" Sam said, looking up from her own key. The clerk bowed.

"I'm truly honored," she said to them with a pleasant smile. Sam turned to her brother, card key in hand.

"Alright bro! To the elevator!" Sam demanded, pumping her fist into the air.

"Whatever you say, boss," Iggy said in a sarcastic tone, shrugging his shoulders. Sam gave him a pat, and the two walked over towards the right wing of the lobby. They approached a hall with four elevators, two on each side. Sam reached over and pushed the button with an arrow pointing upward.

"I still can't believe how huge this place is," Iggy remarked.

"Yeah but they don't even have a swimming pool," she joked, faking a disappointed scowl. Iggy face palmed, but couldn't keep from laughing at her comment. After a few seconds, a light above one of the elevators emitted a glow.

Ding.

The elevator opened, revealing a female inkling that looked about Iggy's age. The girl had long light blue hair, and eyes that resembled shimmering diamonds. Her skin was the color of milk chocolate. She was wearing Studio Headphones and a Mint Tee. She also sported Crazy Arrows, just like Iggy. The girl noticed Iggy's shoes, and smiled to herself.

"Nice kicks," the girl said to him. Iggy blinked. He wasn't used to strangers speaking to him.

"Uh, thanks," he said pathetically, looking down at his shoes, then back at her. She tilted her head, but chuckled. Iggy watched as she strolled out of the elevator and into the main lobby. The sound of Sam's footsteps got his attention. He quickly turned around and hopped into the elevator, and the doors shut just after he entered. Sam pushed the button labeled F18, and drummed on her thighs, and she hummed an unfamiliar tune. Iggy returned to browsing about Splatfests on his phone.

"Hey, I wonder where this one leads," Sam said, causing Iggy to look up from his phone. She was pointing at the elevator buttons. They were labeled from the lobby up to twenty floors, but there was another button, with a lightning bolt symbol on it. Right beside the button was a card slot.

"That's probably the executive floor," Iggy told her. "Only people with executive cards can go there," he guessed, then went back to his article. Sam furrowed her brow. "I guess all of the executives must be electricians or something," she chuckled. The elevator slowed down.

Ding.

The doors opened, revealing floor eighteen. The siblings stepped out, and glanced around the hallway. The carpet was decorated with green zigzags, and the wallpaper was beige. Each door was labeled with a golden number. The kids followed the numbers right, as they increased, starting with 1851. They turned a corner, and after a few more steps, they had reached their room.

"Wow, check it out, mama put your name on the door," Sam remarked, as Iggy pulled out his card key. He looked at the door.

"Uh, Sam, that's the room number, 1884. What are you…" he faltered as he realized the irony of the door number.

"Wait what?" Sam asked, looking at the label again. Her eyes suddenly lit up. "Ohhh! I see it now. Well that's pretty convenient nonetheless!" she laughed, punching his arm again. Iggy rolled his eyes.

"You're such a ditz sometimes," he teased.

"Just open the door already!" she ordered. Iggy swiped the card key, and Sam kicked the door open. Iggy scowled at her.

"Easy! Don't be so violent! I don't want our apartment in shambles anytime soon!" he yelled. They entered their new home. Instantly, both of them smiled ear to ear.

The room itself resembled a hotel suite. The walls were colored the famous forest green, and the carpet was the color of a sandy beach. The furniture in the room was white, including a large futon in the center of the room. The futon faced a flat-screen television that was mounted to the wall. Accompanying the TV, were large speakers imbedded into the wall, one on each side. They were nearly as tall as Iggy. There were two bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen. There were no windows inside the living room, but the bedroom doors were both open revealing large windows that lit up each bedroom. Both of them slowly looked at each other.

"This is so AWESOME!" Iggy exclaimed as he threw his backpack off, and ran towards the futon.

"For once, you're right," Sam said as she walked around the living room. She looked between the two bedrooms, scratching her chin.

"Ok, so you get the room next to the bathroom. Your boy smells can permeate your room, not mine," Sam chuckled, and walked over to the room closer to the kitchen. Iggy shrugged. "Works for me. Besides, you'll be making most of our meals, so it makes sense if you're closer to the kitchen," he remarked, expressionless, standing up from the futon.

"Ha!" Sam laughed at his suggestion. "Not for the first week. We're eating out for every night in celebration of living on our own!" she beamed. Iggy smiled at the thought, for there were no restaurants in their old neighborhood. Although their mother was a good cook, they always longed to go out for meals. Iggy grabbed his backpack off of the floor, and walked into his bedroom.

The room was about twice as large as his bedroom at home. Once again, he noticed it's layout was similar to a hotel room's. The bed had a plain white comforter and pillows, and the nightstand was white-stained wood, like most of the furniture in the condo. The carpet and walls were the same as the living room. A television was mounted opposite of his bed, not as big as the other TV, but still relatively large. There weren't any paintings or distracting decorations. For the most part, it was empty. Iggy smiled. He was generally an organized person, and appreciated the simplistic design of his new home. He went over to his bed and set his backpack down, and began unpacking his belongings. Sam appeared at his door, and cleared her throat. Iggy glanced at her and noticed she was holding a silk pouch.

"Here's the money Mom left you," Sam told him, and tossed him the pouch. He caught it, but was surprised by its weight.

"Geez, how good was she in turf wars? Must have been more than decent to have all this money waiting for her kids," Iggy remarked. "Is it split evenly?" he asked her. The magenta inkling smirked at her brother.

"Dude, she had one hundred and ten-thousand in cash," she exclaimed. "You get fifty-thousand, and I get sixty-thousand because I'm Mom's favorite," she beamed, placing her hands on her hips like a superhero. Iggy glared at her.

"Hey, that's not true! We split it even!" he protested. Sam giggled at her brother's frustration.

"I'm just kidding, idiot. There's no extra ten-thousand. Why do you need the money anyway? Are you planning on going on a bunch of dates with some hot chicks?" she teased. Iggy rolled his eyes.

"Hey, shut it!" Iggy shouted at her.

"You're a hot mess, Iggy," she chuckled. And with that, she went back into her room to continue setting up.

Iggy sighed. He looked at his undershirts and spare shorts that were now laying across his bed. He didn't bring much else, so he grabbed all of his clothes and stuffed them into the dresser under the television. He was eager to finally explore the city. He left his room. He noticed that Sam was still unpacking.

"Hey, Sam I'm going to get some lunch, you wanna come?" he offered.

"Nah bro, go ahead and go without me. I need to finish setting up!" she shouted back at him. Iggy shrugged, and headed to the front door. He made sure he had his card key and his phone, then exited the condo. He closed the door behind him, and took a deep breath.

 _Time for Inkopolis,_ he thought to himself. As he walked down the hallway, he listened for the sounds of the distant plaza. But he couldn't hear it. He was surprised by how quiet it was.

"Hey, kid!" a voice said, startling Iggy so much he almost screamed. Iggy whirled around to the source of the voice. On the opposite end of the hall stood the green inkling from the train station. Iggy gulped. He tried to hide his fear with a scowl.

"We need to talk," he said sternly, as he walked towards Iggy.

"W-what are you d-doing here?" the boy demanded, taking a few steps back. The fiend shook his head.

"Now is not the time for stupid questions, kid. I need you to come with me right now," he ordered. Iggy shook his head furiously.

"Sorry, but that's not going to happen. If you take one more step closer, I'll scream," he threatened, with his attempt at a scowl slightly fading. The older boy just chuckled.

"Why do they always make it so difficult," he mumbled to himself. "Whatever, kid. You'll come around," he said. Iggy didn't respond. "I'll see you soon," he whispered, then confidently walked away.

 _No you won't,_ Iggy wanted to say, but the guy had already turned the corner. Once again, his happy mood was spoiled by this rouge inkling. Iggy exhaled sharply, and shook his head. He continued to walk towards the elevator. He pressed the button that would take him to the lobby. Iggy leaned against a wall He couldn't shake the feeling that him being in their apartment was not a coincidence.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened, revealing an inkling boy.

"Going down?" he asked with a smile. Iggy cleared his throat.

"Yup," he said, as he joined the boy in the elevator. As the doors shut, he turned to Iggy.

"Newcomer? I haven't seen your face around here," he remarked. Iggy blinked, and looked back at the polite inkling. His voice was shallow, like something was bothering him, but his face didn't show it. He had lime green tentacles, though they were short and combed over, something Iggy had never seen before. The boy stared at Iggy with Zircon eyes. He wore a Sage Polo, Banana Basics, and White Arrowbands on his face. Iggy tried to find a response.

"Yeah, just moved into town actually," Iggy said, scratching his arm. The stranger tilted his head.

"Oh, really? Well, welcome to Inkopolis," he said with a smile. "I remember my first day…" he trailed off, as he relived his own memories. Iggy just stood there awkwardly, waiting for the doors to open.

Ding.

"Nice meeting you," Iggy said, and quickly walked out before the inkling could respond. He broke into a slight run, getting confused looks by other residents. The automatic doors slid open, and Iggy bounded outside. He was basically giggling to himself in excitement.

He sprinted in the direction of Inkopolis. Due to the adrenaline rush, he didn't feel tired at all. He felt alive; he didn't care how many people looked at him like he was insane. Today was finally the day he could try out Turf Wars. He arrived at the plaza in no time, and slowed down.

Iggy gazed around, taking in the magnificent sights. Inklings were scattered throughout the plaza, some in conversations, some on their phones, and few were dancing to the groovy music coming from the enormous speakers outside the battle lobby. Iggy looked towards the tower, eager to start a Turf War. He started sprinting towards the tower, but the sound of his stomach grumbling stopped him.

 _Oh right, lunch,_ he remembered. The faint smell of Inkopolis Café made his mouth water. He began making his way to the café.

He opened the glass doors, and he was surprised how relatively slow business was. He went up to the self-order kiosks, and ordered a slice of pizza. Iggy found a seat near the window facing the plaza, and made himself comfortable. Iggy felt a bit strange just eating alone, but he waited there anyway. He had no one else to eat with anyway.

A jellyfish waiter brought Iggy his pizza. It was plain, just cheese and sauce, his favorite. He bit into the slice of pizza and leaned back, relaxed by the ambiance of the café. He watched inklings making their way into the lobby, which hyped him up even more for his upcoming battles. A group of boys were sitting at the table in front of him. They were speaking amongst themselves. One inkling eating a taco was arguing with his friend.

"Look, I find it hard to believe they split up over a Splatfest result. I think it was a publicity stunt," one of them said. The one he was talking to shook his head.

"No, you're wrong," he retorted. "You could see the pain in Callie's eyes after the majority of their fans basically said she was the inferior. Marie was happy that she won, but she had to have felt guilty about the whole thing. They don't hate each other, they probably agreed it was best if they stepped out of the spotlight for a time," he added. That last part got Iggy's attention. He sat up in his chair so he could listen more clearly.

"Well, whatever. It doesn't matter how they split up. All that matters is that they said things need to wind down, which means, no more Splatfests," the first guy explained, biting into his taco.

Iggy's heart skipped a beat.

"WHAT?" he yelled a little bit too loudly. The inklings at the other table gave him a weird look. Iggy turned red in embarrassment.

"Uh, you okay buddy?" the second one asked him, raising an eyebrow. Iggy stood up from his chair.

"Are you serious?! Callie and Marie split up?! NO MORE SPLATFESTS?!" Iggy couldn't believe what he was hearing. He threw some money on his table, and stormed out of the café. The first inkling looked back at his friend.

"Geez, SOMEBODY needs to chill," he scoffed.

Iggy, burst through the café doors, distraught. He didn't want to believe those guys; it couldn't be true. He glanced at the screen that usually broadcast the Inkopolis News, and his heart sank. The monitor was completely turned off, no flashing graphic or anything. Iggy sprinted up the ramp that led to the battle dojo. He reached the edge and peered into the window where the news was broadcasted.

To his surprise, all of the studio lights were shut off, and Callie and Marie were missing from their seats. Iggy turned away from the window, and slowly walked towards the railing. He grabbed the metal bars, trying to swallow his realization.

He would never get to participate in a Splatfest.


	3. Chapter 3 - Turf War

Iggy walked around Inkopolis Plaza dozens of times. It was about noon, and he had been pacing for half an hour. He kicked a pebble and sulked.

 _Why can't there be any more Splatfests? Sam is gonna flip when she finds out,_ the young inkling thought. He exhaled sharply, and shook his head.

"Well, it's no use wandering around," he murmured to himself, and started towards the weapon store. "It's about time I get my first weapon."

Iggy arrived at Ammo Knights, and entered the glass doors. The inside layout did not look like a traditional store. It was more like a garage, and weapons were scattered about the bunker. He noticed the shop-owner was hard at work, modifying what looked like a charger weapon. Iggy cleared his throat, and the man stopped to face him. A bright smile appeared on his face, and he stood up to greet his customer.

"Hello, Hello! What kind of weapon are you in the market for?" the shopkeeper asked him. Iggy recognized the owner, and remembered those old commercials he used to watch when he was younger. They showcased all of the different weapon types and such, as well as different sub and special weapons.

"Oh hey, you must be Sheldon," Iggy remarked with a smile. Sheldon gave an honorary salute.

"That's correct!" he said. Iggy couldn't help but laugh at his optimistic personality. Sheldon got a confused look on his face. "Hmm… excuse me, but I don't recognize you. Are you a newcomer perhaps?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Iggy pursed his lips.

"Yeah, technically I'm a noob, but I spent my entire life reading about Turf Wars!" he beamed with his chin up. Sheldon wasn't very impressed, but he knew better than simply questioning his customers' antics, so he smiled anyway.

"Don't worry," he assured. "I'll get you something useful to start out with," he shouted encouragingly, turning and walking over to a wall lined with various weapons. Suddenly, he stopped as if he had forgotten something, and looked back at Iggy. Sheldon squinted his eyes, staring right at the newbie. The weapons dealer smiled as the realization hit him. "Hey…is your name Ignacio by any chance?" he asked suddenly. Iggy jumped. That question caught him off guard.

"Wait, you know who I am?" he asked with an intrigued look on his face. Sheldon shook his head.

"Heh heh, unfortunately, I do not. Sorry, my friend. But… I do have a package for you!" he announced with a raised finger, as he walked over to a large box. Iggy followed him over to the crate.

"Say hello to your new custom Aerospray!" Sheldon nodded at the box. The pink inkling was dumbfounded, and grabbed his temples in disbelief.

"Custom…WHAT? From who?" he demanded. Sheldon shrugged, leaning on the box.

"Not even I can tell you that. It's from an unknown sponsor," he said nonchalantly. Iggy eyed the mysterious box. It was made of sturdy wood, and was as big as a refrigerator.

"Yes, it was left outside my shop with a note. Give this to an inkling with dark eyes and pink tentacles. His name is Ignacio. That's what it said anyway," Sheldon recited.

 _Now_ _who would give me a custom weapon?_ Iggy wondered. _Maybe Mom left it for me as a surprise?_

"Uh, thanks…" is all he managed to say, as he reached into his pocket for his wallet. Sheldon noticed what Iggy was doing and put his hand up, shaking his head.

"There's no need for compensation, I'm not the one who made this weapon," Sheldon said generously. Iggy furrowed his brow.

"Isn't that kind of… I don't know,sketchy?he asked with a concerned expression. Sheldon shook his head, having expected the skepticism.

"No worries, I had the weapon inspected. Turns out, it's completely safe!" he reassured him. Some relief washed over Iggy, but he still wondered who would leave him a weapon, let alone a custom build.

"Alright Sheldon, I guess we can open it up now?" he asked, slightly eager to receive his first of the hopefully many weapons to come. Sheldon nodded, and together they lifted the lid off of the crate. Iggy's jaw dropped when he caught a glimpse of the weapon. He reached for it, and with some struggle, he lifted it out of the crate. The ink gun had a satisfying weight to it, and was the perfect size in Iggy's opinion. But what was really interesting was its color. The metal was colored a shiny light blue, Iggy's favorite color.

"Wow… this is so awesome!" he exclaimed, looking at Sheldon. The horseshoe crab nodded, and grinned at Iggy's reaction.

"It's all yours," he chimed. Iggy thanked the shopkeeper, and was about to leave the shop, but he felt guilty for not buying anything.

"Hey, Sheldon!" he turned. "For your trouble, I'll have my sister come by for a weapon later," Iggy promised him with a smile. The man bowed.

"Thank you for your patronage, Ignacio! I hope to see you soon!" he said. The pink inkling looked back at him.

"Just call me Iggy," he said. He then walked out of Ammo Knights, Sheldon waving at him as he walked away.

Iggy admired his first weapon with glee. He couldn't wait to show Sam; she was going to be so jealous that her little brother has his own custom weapon. Without thought, he primed it and pretended to shoot around, dodging imaginary ink fire. Passing by inklings gave him odd looks.

"Um… what is that guy doing?" a girl said to her friend and snickered. Iggy noticed the unwanted attention and quickly put his weapon away. The boy looked towards Inkopolis Tower, and strolled over to the battle lobby to test out his new weapon. He couldn't wait to see what was so special about it, besides its unique color. He entered the pavilion, and walked into the double doors to start his first battle. The inside of the lobby was lit by dancing lights that lined the walls. A dozen kiosks were standing all around the wall. Iggy walked up to a kiosk, and peered at the on-screen options.

"Alright, let's see… Register!" he said choosing the respective button. A keyboard appeared on the screen, and Iggy typed out his full name. After he pressed the enter key, he was asked for his favorite color. Iggy found the light blue option, and tapped it.

ZAP!

"OW! Hey!" he protested, quickly retracted his finger in pain. Slapping the side of the machine. He read the instructions again, but this time it said to choose HIS color.

"Wow, isn't that a bit harsh…" he complained, using his knuckle to push the hot pink option. The screen advanced to the next page, and all it read was 'Smile!' A green light appeared approximately eye-level to him.

Click!

Iggy blinked, not realizing that his picture was just taken. He looked at the kiosk, alarmed. A whirring noise was emitting from the bottom of the machine, near his waist. He watched as a metallic pink card slowly ejected out of the bottom of the machine. The inkling grabbed the card, which was warm to the touch, as it had just been printed. He looked at it, and couldn't help but smile.

"Sweet… my own Battle ID card," he mused happily. The kiosk thanked him for registering, and returned to the initial screen. This time, Iggy clicked the 'Sign In' option. He swiped his Battle ID card, slightly annoyed about how tedious the whole process could turn out to be. A number of colorful buttons showed up, and Iggy squinted his eyes as he cycled through. He selected the option that read 'Turf War'. Iggy heard a buzzer, and a hidden door in the wall nearby slid open, making him jump in surprise. He slowly went through the door, and was met with a dimly lit room.

After a few seconds, Iggy's eyes adjusted to the dim light. Based on his surroundings, he seemed to be in some sort of waiting room. There were eight chairs lined across the rather small room, four on each side. Seven other inklings occupied their seats, but he could hardly see them under such poor lighting. The door slammed shut and Iggy shrieked. He heard laughter.

"Hurry up!" a male voice yelled. Iggy gulped, and sat down in the only available chair. Iggy fidgeted, as he was nervous for his first battle, but at the same time excited.

 _Look out Inkopolis, I'm in town now!_ he thought with a smile.

All of a sudden, his chair abruptly jerked to the right, which made him yelp in surprise. Iggy clutched onto the hand rails. The chair jolted backward, and he slid back.

"Whoa!" he yelled as his grip slipped off of the handrails. "AHHHHHH!" he screamed, as he plummeted down a trapdoor. He was sliding downwards, upside down. He seemed to be on some sort of ramp.

He slid down at a high speed, and was flailing his arms in confusion. Mechanical tubes that resembled inkguns appeared from the walls, and they aimed right at his face. "Ah! D-don't shoot!" he yelled and covered his face with his palms. The tubes sprayed orange ink at him, covering him completely. Iggy spat ink out of his mouth, but before he could even think, he suddenly landed in a pool of orange ink.

In panic, he changed into his squid form and swam upwards. When he emerged at the surface, he switched back into his humanoid form. He opened his eyes and was blinded by the sunlight. He shielded his eyes and noticed he was in a completely different area. His hair glistened a bright orange; he was standing on one of those spawn points.

"Cool, Moray Towers," an inkling beside him said. Iggy looked at her, she was holding her weapon, and caught a glimpse of his confused expression. She chuckled. "Dude, first time through the transporter?" she asked him with an amused look on her face. Iggy blinked, and nodded shyly.

"Well hurry up and equip your weapon, noob," she teased. Iggy quickly took out his Aerospray and gulped, ready for his first Turf War. After seconds of silence, the sound of a whistle could be heard across the map. The three inklings beside him took off. Iggy followed, guns blazing. He sprayed ink everywhere. His teammates jumped off the top of Moray Towers, and without thinking, he jumped off after them.

"Wait-AHHHHH!" he screamed as he fell downwards. He landed on the level below, and regained himself. Another teammate scowled at him.

"Come on!" he yelled, jumping down another level. Iggy was not fond of falling, so he looked towards the ramp.

"I'll take this way!" he yelled back, running to the right without even waiting for his teammate to respond. Iggy sprayed orange across the ramp, as he slowly descended.

When he reached the center, it was already covered orange by his teammates. He changed into a squid and swam into the middle of the map. Iggy pointed at the wall that could allow him to swim into their territory, but a light blue inkling noticed him and shot at him with a Jet Squelcher.

Iggy dodged the incoming fire and tried to take cover, a few of the shots impacting his torso. The enemy ink felt sticky and heavy, which annoyed Iggy. He looked back at the pursuing inkling. To his surprise, he suddenly exploded orange ink everywhere. Iggy shifted his gaze to his side of the tower, to see that one of his allies wielding a Squiffer. He sighed in relief and continued covering Turf.

He swam to the ramp that would allow him to ascend the opposing side of the map. He turned a corner, but an enemy inkling was waiting for him. She emerged from hiding and furiously swung her brush, splattering light blue ink everywhere.

"Argh!" Iggy yelled as he ducked behind a wall. He panted for a moment, regaining his focus. He took a deep breath, then emerged from hiding and sprinted towards the inkling. She raised her brush to splat him, but he sidestepped out of the way and used his Aerospray to knock the brush from her hands. She stepped back, gave him an annoyed look, but then smirked.

"Looks like you got me, slick," she chided. Iggy raised his Aerospray, aiming at her face.

 _Too easy,_ he thought. But then he noticed she looked familiar recognized her. It was the girl from the elevator earlier this morning. She seemed to recognize him too.

"Hey, you're the guy with my shoes," she laughed. Iggy blinked, frozen, not sure what to do. It was becoming awkward alarmingly fast. She smirked and walked towards him.

"What, too scared to fire at a girl?" she teased. Iggy couldn't help from blushing, but he didn't budge. "I can fix that," she said with a grin. "Catch," she threw something at him. Iggy flinched and tried to grab the object she threw at him. He caught it and looked down to see a… Splat Bomb. Before he could even react, it exploded in his face.

He felt very light for a few seconds. He couldn't see anything. Suddenly he felt solid again, and he emerged from the starting position.

"Dammit!" he complained, stomping his feet on the spawn point. "So that's what it feels like to get splatted…" he pouted. He turned and sprinted towards the upper ramp, as nobody had inked the top half of the map yet. He sprayed every corner of the ramp, slowly but surely, made his way down to the center again. He eyed the center hoping that they were winning, but to his dismay, the center had been covered in the cyan ink. Iggy clenched his teeth and charged into the center.

"YAHHHHHH!" he roared, splatting a roller-wielding Inkling who was trying to advance up his side of the tower. "HA! Take that, you son of a-" Iggy was interrupted by a stream of ink. He was covered, and within an instant, he was splatted again.

"Gotcha," the Jet Squelcher user teased. Iggy respawned back at his base, with a glower on his face.

"Screw this!" he said, rushing to the first ledge. He peered downwards, looking for fellow teammates. He noticed the inkling with the Squiffer was still picking off opponents. Iggy turned into a squid, concentrated his energy, and leaped up into the air at an alarming speed.

He ascended approximately thirty feet, then came careening down near the sniper. He landed on his feet, and stumbled a few steps back. He stopped for a second to catch his breath, that super jump made him a bit giddy.

He shook his tentacles, then proceeded covering the center of the map. He swam down the ramp, which led him to the center once again. He inked the wall which led into their ramp, and swam up the wall. Swimming vertically felt strange, yet natural at the same time.

He emerged on their side and sprayed orange goop all over their turf. He marched up the tower, confident that he was going to win. But caught a glimpse of aqua. He darted his eyes to his side of the tower, noticing that the brush inkling was making her way up their side of the map.

He turned back and inked as much turf as he could. Most of the other inklings were battling in the center of the map, so it was up to Iggy to try and take their base before theirs was taken. Judd began counting down from ten. Iggy anxiously sprinted to the top of the tower. A bubbling sound caught Iggy's attention. It was coming from his left. A light blue inkling appeared at the enemy spawn point. He noticed Iggy.

"Hey! STOP!" he yelled. It was the roller wielding Inkling from earlier. Iggy only had seconds to react. He pulled out a Splat Bomb.

 _Wait where did this even come from?_ He thought to himself. His opponent raised the roller, and Iggy darted to the edge of the tower. He released the Splat Bomb, onto the tower, as he let gravity take him away. Judd's whistle sounded, and Iggy smirked when he heard the explosion.

Judd ordered all of the Inklings to wait on the sidelines. Iggy wasn't sure which team was victorious, but he had a pretty good feeling that last effort paid off. The inklings waited patiently as Judd inspected the map.

"Hey, sneakers," Iggy heard a familiar voice. He turned his head to see the brush-wielding inkling from the opposing team. She was smirking at him. "Good game, dude. You aren't mad at me for that stunt I pulled back there, are you?" She crossed her arms and looked at him expectantly. Iggy looked behind him, then back at her. He got a puzzled look on his face.

 _Why is she talking to me?_ he wondered, not liking the concept of talking to strangers. "Um…I don't think so, no," he replied awkwardly. She seemed so comfortable chatting with someone she didn't even know.

"Good," she said with a grin. Iggy could have sworn she was teasing him. "Well, I guess I'll see you later," she said and walked back to her team before Iggy could respond. Judd approached the inklings with his flag. Everyone stopped their conversations turned towards him.

"Meow (The winner is…orange team)!" Judd thrust his flag towards Iggy's group. Iggy's allies cheered and danced. He grinned and celebrated with his teammates. He noticed the brush girl was looking at him with those shimmering eyes of hers. She scowled at him, but then she smirked and gave a slow clap. She approached him once again.

"Nice job, newbie," she joked. "Playing again?" Iggy shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, I was planning on meeting up with my sister," he said shyly. She sighed.

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired, I probably should take a break as well. I haven't even had lunch yet," she said to him. Iggy eyed her carefully.

"Well it was nice meeting you…" he said in a dismissive tone. She waved at him, and walked towards a launchpad that led back to Inkopolis Plaza. As she began to walk away, Iggy regretted himself.

"Hey… wait!" he called out to her. She turned around surprised. Iggy felt silly for yelling, but shook his head. "I never got your name," he mumbled. A sly grin appeared on her face, then extended her hand towards him.

"The name's Dani."


	4. Chapter 4 - Friends?

"Well I don't know about you, Iggy, but I seriously need to get some food…" Dani said, as they both emerged out of the Battle Lobby. She looked at him for a response. Iggy looked away. He didn't know whether to tell her he already had lunch, or to go with her anyway.

"Iggy!" a familiar voice yelled from across the plaza. Said boy looked towards the voice to see his sister jogging towards them with a grin on her face. "You started Turf Wars without me?" she pouted. Iggy smirked.

"Haha, you'll get over it Sam," Iggy chuckled, but remembered the girl standing next to him. "Oh yeah this is Dani by the way, I met her playing Turf Wars." Sam glanced at the girl, then back at Iggy.

 _Made a new friend already?_ She wondered. Dani looked at her.

"Sup, who might you be?" she asked with a casual lean against the nearby wall. The girl in pink grinned with her sharp teeth.

"I'm Sam, Nice to meet you Dani!" she beamed with a cheerful wave. "Nice to see my loser brother has made a friend already," she snickered. Dani giggled, and Iggy frowned, crossing his arms.

"Why do you have to be like this CONSTANTLY?" he muttered. Sam exhaled sharply, and lightly kicked his ankle.

"Come on dude, don't be a drama queen," she cooed.

"Nice to meet you too, Sam," Dani chuckled with a small wave to the other girl.

"Well… what do you have planned next?" Sam asked her younger brother. Iggy shrugged, and glanced at Dani for an answer. She cleared her throat.

"It's about time I grab some lunch, you won't like me when I'm hungry," she sighed with her eyebrows raised.

"Hey me too, how about we go together?" she asked. Dani shrugged.

"Works for me, I could use a sub sandwich right now," she replied. Sam looked at Iggy, and lifted her arms in the air impatiently.

"Well, are you in or are you out?" she questioned him. He felt put on the spot.

"Uh, I already ate, so…" He rubbed the back of his head. Dani slightly frowned; it was the first time she stopped smiling since they met.

"Well… see ya later then," she said, walking towards Sam. Iggy watched as they turned and walked towards the Inkopolis Café, and sighed. Suddenly, he felt a boom of confidence.

"W-wait! I'll come!" he shouted a bit too loudly, and hurried after them. They stopped, turning back towards him. Sam placed her hands on her hips, while Dani snickered at his indecisiveness.

"Two lunches in a day? You're gonna be a chub if you keep this up," she teased pointing her finger at him. Her response surprised Iggy.

"Oh whatever! And besides, I only wanted a smoothie anyway, you two are the chubs," he snapped. Dani looked shocked at his sass-back. Iggy saw the alarmed look on her face and immediately regretted his comment. "I-I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean it like that!" he stuttered sporadically. She chuckled at his distress.

"Relax dude. Touché, you win. Now… let's go to Inkopolis Café before my stomach tries to murder me," she laughed. Together, the three inklings made their way to the famous café. While they were walking, Iggy checked his phone, and to his surprise, it was in the early afternoon.

"Wow, time goes by fast when you're battling," Iggy said in amazement. Dani nodded.

"Yeah, been there done that. Sometimes I only get a few dozen battles in, and it's already evening!" she exclaimed. Iggy nearly tripped.

"Few… dozen? Doesn't that get tiring after a while?" he asked her. The girl shrugged.

"Meh, not if you take a couple of breaks. I go to the café every day, it's a nice place to wind down," she replied.

"So how long have you been living here Dani?" Sam asked.

"One week, I live in the Greenfield Condominiums, same as you," she responded. Iggy laughed.

"Oh Yeah! I remember seeing you near the elevator," he recalled aloud. Dani nodded at him, but Sam had a puzzled expression.

"From the elevator? I don't… Oh, wait a minute! You're the one with the sparkly eyes!" Sam said as she gazed into Dani's eyes, a little too closely.

"Yeah, thanks, I guess?" she said sheepishly with a slight blush. Iggy looked at her eyes, and smiled.

"Yeah, they are pretty cool, they look like glistening diamonds," Iggy said, but realized how weird of a compliment he just gave and looked away in embarrassment. They arrived at the Café, where dozens of hungry inklings were eating various meals. Since the Café was the prime place to eat in the plaza, it was crowded nearly every afternoon. The three teens looked around in disappointment.

"Wow, there aren't any tables," Iggy pouted. The girls looked around. They scouted for some seats, after a few seconds, Dani pointed at a distant table.

"Found one!" she remarked with a smile. Iggy glanced over to where she was pointing and squinted. He saw a table for four, but an inkling was sitting there sipping a smoothie while reading a newspaper.

"There's someone already sitting there, Dani," Iggy said with a confused look.

"Who reads newspapers?" Sam whispered, furrowing her brow. Dani chuckled at her comment and turned to Iggy.

"Maybe so, but I see three open seats, we have no other choice. Let's give it a shot," she said and started towards the table. Iggy stepped in her way.

"You want to sit with some rando? Didn't your parents teach you about stranger danger?" he remarked placing his hands on his hips.

"Move, you dumb squid!" she ordered and playfully pushed him aside. Iggy exhaled sharply in defeat. He looked at his sister, and she shrugged.

"Worth a try," she said. The siblings followed their new friend across the café.

"Let me do the talking," she whispered to the siblings. As they got closer, Iggy realized it was the older boy from the elevator this morning, the one with the Green hair and Zircon eyes. Dani's face lit up. "Oh hey, it's Alex! Sup dude," Dani punched the boy, and he spilled his smoothie all over his polo. He narrowed his eyes at the girl and ripped a few paper towels off a nearby rack.

"Really Dani? Why do you have to ruin my favorite shirt?" he asked in annoyance. She grinned at him innocently.

"Sorry man," she said patting his shoulder. "Oh hey, meet my new friends, Sam and Iggy," she gestured towards them.

"Sup," Iggy said, trying to be cool.

"Nice to meet you Alex!" she said with a profound smile. Alex glanced at the two inklings. He smiled when he noticed Iggy.

"Hey, I know you! You stay at Greenfield Condominiums right?" he asked him, tossing the paper towels into a nearby trashcan. Before Iggy could say yes, Sam nodded.

"Wait, but how did you know that?" she asked him.

"I saw him in the elevator earlier this morning," Iggy said quickly, growing tired of the meet and greets. Sam eyed the two boys, then shrugged.

"Neat," she said softly. Dani pointed at the spare seats.

"Is anyone sitting here?" she asked. Alex folded up his newspaper and looked at her with a frown.

"Yeah sorry, these seats are taken," he replied. Dani looked over and didn't see any belongings that signified the seats being occupied.

"By whom?" she had the courage to ask. Alex gave her a small smile.

"To you of course! Have a seat, guests," he gestured to the empty seats.

 _Some comedian you are,_ Iggy thought sarcastically. Dani took the seat next to Alex, while the siblings sat across from them. The waiter appeared and took their orders. The girls ordered sandwiches and cola. Iggy ordered a pink lemonade and a quesadilla. As soon as the waiter left, Sam grinned devilishly at Iggy. He rolled his eyes.

"Ok, I guess I was a little bit hungry," he mumbled, unable to suppress a smile. Meanwhile, Alex folded up his newspaper and took a long sip of his smoothie.

"So, what brings you to Inkopolis?" he asked looking at the siblings. Iggy was about to say Splatfests, but then he remembered those weren't a thing anymore.

"I guess the same reason as all young inklings, we want to be rebellious and live on our own, and we want to do fun things, like shopping and battling," Sam replied in a passionate tone. Alex nodded his head at her response.

"True, true. I see you two already have some pretty decent gear," he said, sizing up the two inklings. Sam closed one eye.

"Actually, our mother bought us most of our clothing, so we kind of cheated in that aspect," she admitted. Dani looked over at the older girl incredulously.

"Lucky! Most of us have to earn our gear, the shopkeepers can usually tell when an inkling is fresh off the boat," she pouted, crossing her arms. Sam chuckled.

"Yeah. But come to think of it… Iggy, you've been playing Turf Wars, right? What kind of weapon did you buy?" she inquired. Iggy gulped.

"He has some crazy weapon I've never even seen before!" Dani exclaimed before he could speak. The others looked at him, now interested. He eyed all of them nervously.

"Um, well… I guess Sheldon thought I was a fresh squid you know?" he lied. Dani rolled her eyes, not believing him.

"That's very funny, sneakers," she chuckled.

"Crazy weapon you say?" Alex chimed in. "Let us see it!" he begged. Iggy stopped to think for a moment.

 _What could possibly go wrong,_ he thought to himself. He sighed, then pulled out his blue Aerospray. Sam gasped in shock. Alex, a normally calm inkling, stared at the weapon in disbelief.

"W-where did you get that?" he demanded. _Could it be?_ he thought to himself. Alex was looking right into his eyes. He looked somewhat confused, perhaps a bit alarmed.

"Is there something on my face?" Iggy asked in slight annoyance. Alex shook himself and looked away with a smile.

"Lucky," he said dismissively. Sam slapped her brother's arm.

"So? Where the heck did you get that?" she demanded. Iggy wasn't sure if he should tell her about the mysterious box.

 _Later, in private,_ he thought. "Well… Sheldon was having a special sale; it was a one-time exclusive. He said any inkling could purchase it, though it was seriously expensive," Iggy said all in one breath. _Good lie,_ he complimented himself.

"And you were the one to get it? How lucky is that!" Dani exclaimed. "You better play the lottery, bucko. And give me some money when you win, I want new gear," she complained. The group chuckled as Iggy put his new weapon away. The waiter appeared, bringing in everybody's food on a large platter. She set down their plates; they all quickly started eating.

"Ugh, I'm STARVING!" Dani said with a mouth full of her turkey sub. Iggy laughed and tried his quesadilla. His face lit up in surprise of how good it tasted.

"Wow! This is just like the ones mama used to make us!" he exclaimed looking at Sam. There wasn't too much chatter during their meal, mostly because everyone had their mouths full. After they were finished, they all leaned back in their chairs

"Wow, I am stuffed. That was one hearty meal," Dani groaned happily. Sam gave nodded in agreement.

"Thanks again you guys. it was cool making some new friends on the first day," Sam said to their friends. She stood up and slipped on her Ski Jacket.

"Yeah, you guys seem fun. Here, let me get this," Alex said as he pulled out his wallet. Sam felt guilty, and put her hand on his arm.

"Are you sure? The food here is pretty expensive. How about we all pitch in," she suggested. The green inkling shook his head.

"Nonsense. I've lived here for years. All those turf wars leave me with too much money to spend," he insisted.

"Works for me," Iggy said quickly. Alex paid using his Battle ID card's credit feature, and left a hearty tip. Soon, the four inklings left the café. Iggy glanced at the sun, and checked his phone's clock.

"Geez, time goes by really fast sometimes doesn't it?" He said looking at his friends.

"Having a lot of fun Iggster?" Dani teased with a raised eyebrow. Iggy gave her a puzzled look.

"Iggster? Where did that come from?" he demanded. She shrugged.

"I dunno. Instead of Sneakers I guess. Hey, what are you guys going to do next?" she inquired. Sam snapped her fingers in realization.

"Iggy, we should give Mom a call, let her know we got in safe, hm?" she said to him.

"Ah, right. Well, looks like we gotta go, Dani. It was nice meeting you," he said, managing a smile. She smirked back at him.

"Alright, dude. We'll talk tomorrow?" she asked him. He looked at his sister, then back at Dani, and nodded. Alex pursed his lips.

"Nice meeting you all. Iggy, you lucky dog you, use that Aerospray well. Sam, Dani, I'll see you again sometime," Alex excused himself from the group, waving goodbye to the others as he walked away. The girls waved back, and Iggy nodded at him. Dani turned back to the siblings.

"Well thanks for hanging out, see you guys later!" she said to them. The girl turned towards Booyah Base, waving as she walked away.

"Bye!" Sam called out. Iggy smiled and waved. Sam turned to her younger brother.

"Ready dork?" she teased.

"Shut up," Iggy sneered, punching her shoulder. They started towards their condo.

…

"Well, that's great to hear!" Their mother exclaimed over the phone. "Thank you for checking in, kids," she said.

"Bye mamá!" they both said in unison. Sam disconnected the call, then sighed happily.

"I can tell she's relieved we called," Iggy said to his sister.

"Yeah," she replied. She was staring out the window. Iggy's smile slowly faded, as he sensed her dull mood. He knew she was thinking about their older brother, she always got quiet when she did. He was about to put his hand on her shoulder but she abruptly faced him.

"Iggy, I forgot to put some ice trays in the refrigerator, will you go down to the ice machine?" she requested, pointing at the ice bucket.

"Sure thing, sis," he said taking the bucket. Iggy started towards the door, bucket in hand, and opened the front door. He was about to leave, but stopped and looked at his sister one last time. She still was looking out the window, with her head resting on her hand. He sighed, and slowly shut the door.

Iggy walked down the hallway. He followed the sign that read 'Ice Machine' to the end of the hallway. Around the corner, he spotted the ice room and started towards it. He was a few feet away when the sound of voices stopped him.

 _I know that voice._ He thought to himself. Iggy crept closer to the doorway.

"So you didn't see him at all today?" The first voice spoke. Iggy winced at the sound of his voice. It was the green inkling who had interrogated him before; the one who shoved people around in the train station. Iggy moved his hand to his chest, still feeling some the pain from the punch he received that morning. His fear nearly got the best of him. He wanted to run away.

"I told you, Jack, I haven't seen him in a long time, he's gone silent and I don't know why," the second voice responded in a conflicted tone. Iggy's heart skipped a beat.

 _That voice!_ he yelled in his head. It was Alex.

"But the question is, why is he gone?" The boy now revealed to be Jack uttered.

"It doesn't matter; we need to focus on the task at hand…" he sighed.

Iggy gulped. Then shook his head violently. He closed his eyes. _I won't stand for this._ He fumed in his mind. _I'm tired of everyone taking advantage of me._ He clenched his fists and literally felt the heat in his anger. His eyes shot open, and he stepped towards the door.

"Yes, but you realize if we can find him, he can tell us where…HEY!" Jack noticed Iggy standing at the door. Alex turned, and jumped to see that it was Iggy standing there with a scowl on his face.

"I told you not to get in my way!" Jack yelled and started towards him. Iggy didn't flinch.

"Iggy?" Alex said, bewildered. Jack froze. He slowly turned towards the other boy.

"You know this kid?" He bellowed. Alex stared at Jack and lifted his arms.

"What's up with you? This is my friend, Iggy," he gestured at said boy, who was still scowling at both of them. Jack narrowed his eyes in disbelief.

"You're making friends… with the enemy?" Jack roared. Alex gave him a stern look.

"Enemy? What are you talking about? Iggy is my friend! He has nothing to do with…" Alex stopped himself. Jack looked between the two.

"But Alex…Don't you see? He's… he's the one," he insisted. Alex looked back at Iggy. After a few seconds, he shook his head.

"Not even close. Do you even hear yourself?" Alex asked, crossing his arms. Jack was about to respond but Iggy stomped the ground.

"ENOUGH." The two inklings looked at him, alarmed. Iggy stepped towards Jack. "I swear, if you come near my family ever again, I will rip you to shreds with my bare hands," he hissed. Jack furrowed his eyebrows, taking a few steps back. He said nothing. Iggy glared at him for a long time. His stare was menacing, to say the least. He slowly began turning to leave, but not before giving Alex a scowl. He walked out the door and stormed down the hallway. The two green inklings looked at each other.

"Yes, Alex. He is clearly the one."


	5. Chapter 5 - Nightmare

"Cool thanks, Ig-," Sam stopped as she looked into the empty bucket. She furrowed her brow. "What's the deal, nutcase? There isn't any ice!" she exclaimed placing her hands on her hips. Iggy wasn't listening. He was staring off into the distance, thinking about his encounter with Jack and Alex. Sam scowled.

"Hey, Capitán Ignacio, come back to us!" she yelled as she flicked his forehead. He blinked and looked at her.

"Eh?" he grunted, scratched his temples.

"Ice?" Sam asked, gesturing at the empty bucket. Iggy blinked.

"Oh yeah… it was… broken," he lied. Sam sighed and walked over to the fridge.

"Ugh I guess I'll have my fruit punch room-temperature," she complained.

"Sam I'm going to sleep," Iggy said quickly. She looked at him incredulously as she opened the refrigerator door.

"Already?" she said. "Don't you think it's a bit early? I wanted to watch a movie…" she pouted. Iggy sighed, and walked towards his bedroom.

"Sorry sis, I'm really tired," he lied once again. She exhaled through her nostrils and grabbed a bottle of fruit punch. Iggy shut the door, and immediately felt insecure. He dragged himself over to his bed, then laid down on his back. His heart was racing; his mind was overflowing with thoughts.

 _Why are those two acquainted? Should I tell Sam? What the hell were they talking about?_ He covered his face with his hands in stress. He was already upset on his first day in the city.

 _Maybe it doesn't even matter,_ he tried to convince himself. _Who cares if that guy, what was his name? Jack? Who cares if he knows Alex? But on the other hand, they were saying so many convoluted things._ Iggy remembered a few of the things they were talking about. _Somebody they know has disappeared, by the sound of it, someone they're not fond of…_

Iggy tried to piece together the strange things that had happened that day. His interaction with Jack, The Squid Sisters' disappearance… Ammo Knights. He shot up in bed. He didn't think much of it at the time, but he had a troubling thought.

 _Could this have something to do with that Aerospray? Alex looked really shocked when he saw the weapon. Almost too shocked…_ Iggy snapped his fingers in realization.

"Alex must have left me that Aerospray! He faked being surprised at the Café!" he whispered to himself. _But how would Alex know me? Sheldon's note mentioned me by name! And even if he did somehow know me, why would he give me that weapon?_ He questioned his previous thought. He huffed in frustration, as he felt a slight headache.

"All this garbage on the first day," he said quietly, laying back down to look at the ceiling. He had hoped for a better one. _Did ANYTHING happen today that was good?_ He pondered. He was about to fall asleep, but then he remembered meeting Dani. He decided she was a nice friend, even after that ordeal with the splat bomb. He liked her sarcastic attitude, and her generally tom-boyish nature. He really liked her eyes. That was one of his favorite things about her. Her eyes were like glistening diamonds, with just a very small tint of blue. Her hair was his favorite color, light blue, and her outfit complimented it perfectly. He felt warm and fuzzy thinking about her, but became self-aware. His eyes widened in realization.

 _Oh no…do I like this girl?_ he thought frantically, then face palmed as if it was even a question. _Great. This is going to be interesting,_ he thought as he closed his eyes. He soon drifted off to sleep.

…

Iggy rarely had nightmares, despite him being a generally timid boy. But nonetheless, he dreamt that night. Iggy heard a strange noise, causing him to sit up. His eyes opened to an empty room. Except it was not just a room, for it seemed endless. He was floating around in some sort of void.

He quickly scanned the area for anyone or anything else. As he glanced to his right, he saw a strange object a few feet away. Iggy stood up and dusted off his shorts. He jogged over to get a better look at the object, eyeing it curiously. As he approached, he saw that the figure was moving. He furrowed his brow, and stopped walking. The object stopped moving as well. He then he realized what it was.

It was a mirror. Just an ordinary mirror. Except it looked slightly off. The frame was made of bluish metal, but engraved on the frame were flames and smoke patterns. Iggy studied the frame, flames all around everywhere. He looked back to see his reflection and shrieked. For a split second, he looked in the mirror and he saw a girl cowering in fear, trembling, covering her face. Iggy began feeling dizzy and dark spots formed in his eyes. He looked away from the mirror, trying not to stumble over, and within a few seconds, he felt normal again.

Facing away from the mirror, he felt tempted to look at it again. This time, he decided he wasn't going to look away. He turned, and in the reflection, a new image appeared. Iggy squinted his eyes; the figure was dark and blurry. He looked closer, and realized he was seeing a shadow of an inkling facing him. The shadow reached its arm towards Iggy. Iggy stepped back, alarmed. The shadowy figure's arm was literally coming out of the mirror. He heard a whisper.

"Join me."

Iggy's temptation was too strong. He slowly lifted his hand. He grabbed hold of the shadow's hand, which felt cold. The hand tightly grasped his wrist, then abruptly pulled him into the mirror, and Iggy couldn't see anything. Iggy writhed and tried to escape; he grabbed hold of what bound him.

He threw it off of him in a panic, only to see that it was his bed blanket. He was covered in sweat and he eyed his surroundings; he was back in his bedroom, the sun shining on the opposite wall. The nightmare was over; it was morning. Iggy slumped back onto his bed with a sigh of relief.

…

Sam pulled on her jacket and hat. She glanced in her mirror and smiled at her reflection. She walked into the living room and placed her hands on her hips.

 _Ok what should we do for breakfast,_ she thought to herself. She started towards the kitchen, but her phone buzzed in her pocket.

 _I wonder who that could be,_ she thought with a furrowed brow. She took out her phone to see the text message was from Dani. They had exchanged numbers during their meal at the café yesterday.

 _Hey, do you and Iggy want to go get breakfast?_

Sam smirked, quickly typing a reply.

…

Iggy groggily sat up in bed, he was wearing his hot pink boxers.

"Man, it would be cool if I could stop having these nightmares…" he mumbled to himself. He swung his feet off the bed and onto the ground. He glanced at his custom Aerospray that was leaning against the wall. He scowled at the weapon.

 _My life is more bizarre than the nightmare,_ he thought to himself. His stomach was grumbling loudly, so he stood up, then walked out of his bedroom. He walked into the living room, where Sam was sprawled out on the futon, using her phone. Iggy raised an eyebrow.

"Morning Sam… what's for breakfast?" he asked slowly.

"Morning, Iggy!" she said with a smile, not looking away from her phone. Iggy grew impatient.

"Sam… breakfast?" he repeated. Sam still said nothing. He was about to slap her phone away, when there was a knock at the door.

 _That must be her,_ Sam thought with a smirk. She suddenly lunged off of the futon with incredible speed, making Iggy shriek in surprise. Sam opened the front door, revealing Dani, holding a box of donuts.

"Hey, Dani! Thanks for coming over!" Sam exclaimed, inviting her inside. Dani walked inside and smirked at the sight of their room.

"Wow you guys have a nice place," she said, impressed. "Ours is similar, but it's already really messy," she admitted with a laugh. Sam chuckled, then pointed at the coffee table in front of the couch. Dani placed the donuts on the table. Then she noticed Iggy, and she furrowed her brow at him. He realized he was nearly naked, and his face turned bright red.

"UH…H-HI D-DANI," he stuttered, then quickly ran into his room and slammed the door.

"Wow, nice pink undies," She chuckled. Sam snickered at her brother's embarrassing situation, then sat down on the Futon with Dani.

…

Iggy threw on his Anchor Sweat, then put on his shorts. _Come on Sam, you gotta tell me when we're having guests over!_ he thought, still blushing in frustration. He slipped on his Crazy Arrows, and exhaled slowly. _Let's try this again…_ he thought to himself, as he opened his bedroom door. Again, Iggy walked into the living room. Dani was looking at him, smirking. He looked away, still flustered.

"Um… I didn't know you were coming over here… heh heh," he managed. Then he noticed what was on the coffee table. There was a box of donuts and… four plates. "Wait… who's eating with us?" he asked the girls.

 _Maybe it's Alex,_ he thought to himself. _Wait a minute… Alex_. Iggy froze as he remembered last night. Alex and the Jack guy at the ice machine.

"S-Sam, who else is c-coming over?" he tried to ask as calmly as he could. Just then, there was another knock at the door.

"Cool, he's here. I'll get that," Dani said running to the door. Iggy looked at Sam and raised his arms in a questioning manner. She shrugged and sat on the futon. Dani opened the door, and a boy who looked Iggy's age stepped inside.

"Whoa, rad place!" the inkling said, looking around. The boy had bright blue hair and sapphire eyes. He had chocolate skin similar to Dani. Iggy felt a sudden nervous feeling.

 _Who is this supposed to be?_ he fumed. Dani turned to the siblings.

"Guys, this is Felix, my b-"

"WHAT'S UP FELIX? GOOD TO MEET YOU, BRO!" Iggy interrupted with a big grin on his face. Everyone in the room jumped and looked at him. Dani and Sam exchanged confused looks. Felix furrowed his brow but grinned.

"WHAT'S UP GUY-I-NEVER-MET-BEFORE? GOOD TO MEET YOU TOO, BRO!" He shouted back. Dani pinched her temples, and Sam looked between the two boys.

 _Ok, well played,_ Iggy thought with a slight scowl.

"Yes, this is my brother. He's clearly a moron," Dani muttered.

 _Wait…_ Iggy stopped. _Brother?_ he asked himself. He squeezed his eyes shut. He felt like an idiot.

"Felix, meet Iggy and Sam, my new friends," Dani finished. Felix looked at Sam, and when his eyes met with Iggy's he grinned.

"Oh, he's the one you wouldn't shut up about," Felix smirked looking at his sister. The girl slightly blushed and punched her brother's arm. Iggy had a million questions but he thought best not to ask any of them. Felix chuckled, then pointed at the door with a quizzical expression.

"So, you put your name on the door? I guess that makes it easier to find your room," he said to Iggy. Iggy couldn't help but laugh.

"It says 1884, not Iggy. Don't worry you aren't the only one," he marveled glancing at his sister. Sam glared at him, but decided to keep quiet.

"Alright enough fooling around, let's eat," Dani ordered. The four teens sat and ate their donuts happily. Sam took a sprinkle donut, Iggy had a strawberry donut, Felix bit into his Jelly donut, and Dani ate a glazed.

"Alright, I want to know everyone's favorite weapon class," Felix said with his mouth full. "Gotta break the ice, yes?"

"Rollers," Sam immediately said with a smile. "Nothing more satisfying then smashing your opponents into smithereens!" she shouted slamming her fist on the coffee table. Dani wiped the glaze off her fingers with a napkin.

"Brushes," she said confidently. Felix looked at Iggy for his answer. He gulped down his donut.

"Uh… Well, I've always been a fan of standard weapons, like the Splattershot," he said. _And Aerospray,_ Iggy thought, But the more people he showed it to, the more anxious he felt about it. Felix nodded at his answer.

"Right, right. Honestly though, for me, it's always been Sloshers. It's just hilarious seeing a blanket of ink rain down on opponents," he said with a victorious expression. "Definitely the best feeling in a match."

"Or when you throw a splat bomb at someone in a corner…" Iggy started.

"And they frantically try to escape," the boys said in unison. They both laughed and gave each other a high five. Dani gave Sam a look that said _What have we done_. Sam just shook her head, but smiled at the same time. Suddenly, the boy in blue looked like he had an idea.

"Hey, we should all do some turf wars today!" he suggested with a grin. They all nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, that would be fun! We could organize a team!" Dani exclaimed.

"Maybe we can do something tonight too," Sam suggested. She suddenly turned to Iggy. "Will you go down to the front desk and ask if there are any movies playing at the theater?" she asked him.

He sighed. "You know, I'm not your delivery boy," he pouted. Sam just smiled at him. And he walked towards the front door.

"Hate to say it, but by doing what she says, you kind of are," Felix said jokingly.

"Whatever, I'll be right back," Iggy sighed. He walked out of the room. Iggy walked down the hallways, and towards the elevator. He felt another nervous feeling in his gut. Whenever he was alone, he felt this way, and it was even worse than usual with everything going on.

Ding.

He entered the elevator and pressed the Lobby button. During the decent, Iggy looked at the reflective wall of the elevator. He saw himself there, just waiting. That reminded him of the mirror in his dream. His memory of the dream had started becoming fuzzy, but he remembered aspects of it. The part that scared him the most was when he saw a girl cowering in the reflection.

 _Is that supposed to be me?_ he wondered with a frown.

Ding.

The elevator door slid open, then Iggy stepped out. He walked through the lobby, and he walked out the condo doors. He was pacing in the direction of Inkopolis Plaza.

 _Wait,_ he thought to himself and stopped walking. _What did Sam want me to do again?_ he questioned himself. Sometimes she talked so much that the things she said just went right past him. He turned around to walk back inside, but as he walked through the sliding doors, he noticed a strange group of inklings.

"Hey! There he is! GET HIM!" one of them shouted. Iggy didn't hesitate. He just immediately began sprinting away from the voice. His heart was racing as he ran, trying hard not to have a panic attack. He heard footsteps behind him; those inklings were chasing him. He ran into the cityscape portion of Inkopolis, and passerby inklings stumbled out of his way, giving him alarmed looks. He sprinted down the sidewalk, and he risked a glance behind him. The four guys were only a few feet behind him, and they all wore the same green outfits. He couldn't recognize them, but he faced forward and continued sprinting through the city. He crossed the street and incoming cars beeped at the commotion. He turned the next corner, but felt cramps forming in his abdomen. He ducked into a nearby alley, hoping that they lost him. He clutched his knees and panted. The back of his throat was dry, and he was completely out of breath.

 _I REALLY NEED TO STOP TAKING THESE WALKS ON MY OWN_ , he shouted in his mind. He heard footsteps shuffling nearby the alley; he tried to keep his breathing quiet. Two of the, appeared, and they noticed him hiding. They wearing bandanas over their faces, and they scowled at Iggy. They tried to grab him. Iggy hardly bolted away from one of their tackles. He ran down the alley, but the other two appeared at the other end.

He was trapped.

He was trembling as they slowly walked up to him. They were holding Splattershots, but they weren't the ordinary weapons that Sheldon sold. They were made of metal. Iggy closed his eyes, thinking he was at the end of the line. But suddenly, he heard a sound.

SLAM!

Iggy opened his eyes. A figure had landed beside him, seemingly from the nearby rooftop. Iggy's jaw dropped in shock.

It was the shadowy figure from his dream; the one from the mirror.

Iggy could see him more clearly now. He was the shape of an inkling, but his body seemed to be made of black smoke. His eyes were just bright red lights. The green inklings gasped at the sight of it. The shadow inkling drew out a metal Splattershot, only this one was the same color as Iggy's Aerospray, a shiny light blue. The figure opened fire at two of the green inklings, they sprinted away as the strange gray ink barely missed them. The other two ran the other direction, and the shadow lowered his weapon.

The strange being turned to Iggy.

The boy was frozen in terror. He wanted to run but couldn't. The shadow looked at him with its glowing eyes. He moved his hand towards his own face, and pulled down a bandana. Slowly, the dark smoke faded away, and the glow disappeared from his eyes. At that point, he looked like a normal inkling, but there were a few things different about him. Iggy looked at the inkling in front of him, he was wearing dark clothes. He looked much older than Iggy, but still a teenager. The most unusual aspect was his shiny black tentacles, like they were drenched in oil. The hung loosely by his shoulders.

He stared right at Iggy with his garnet colored eyes. He suddenly had a slight look of worry, like something he had forgotten had finally been remembered. Then the expression faded as quickly as it had formed. Then Iggy noticed his face. A face he knew. The inkling spoke in a calm voice.

"Hey, little bro," he said, smiling at Iggy.


	6. Chapter 6 - Brothers

Iggy couldn't move. He stared at his older brother, dumbfounded by his casual demeanor. There he was, standing right in front of him, smiling like four years of silence never happened. Iggy didn't know whether to be upset or relieved.

"Niko…I…" Iggy started to speak, but the inkling revealed to be Niko placed a hand on his shoulder and Iggy didn't know what to say.

"I'm so sorry, Igg. For everything. I really wish I could explain everything right now, but there is a better time and a better place for all of that. All you need to know right now is that I've been looking after the family," the mysterious boy assured him. Iggy looked at Niko's metal Splattershot. Suddenly his eyes widened in realization. Iggy stared at his brother.

"It was you, wasn't it? You gave me that Aerospray!" Iggy exclaimed. "But why?" he demanded with an incredulous expression. Niko looked at his brother and nodded.

"It was a gift, Iggy. I was giving you a welcome present to Inkopolis," he said with a smile. Iggy wanted to ask more questions, but Niko lifted his hand up before he could ask any questions.

"I know you really want an explanation right now, but now is not the time," He repeated. Iggy blinke, then narrowed his eyes in frustration

"Who were those guys, Niko?!" he yelled while stomping his foot on the ground. Niko frowned at him.

"No questions," he insisted in a more serious tone. He raised his eyes to the roof of the nearby building. "Ok? just follow me, I'll answer some questions later, just trust me for now," he said. Iggy decided to cooperate, as he figured arguing wouldn't help the situation any further. Niko pulled out his blue Splattershot, and clicked a dial on the side of the blaster. He aimed at the side of the building and began inking the wall. Instead of the previously gray ink, the ink was hot pink, the same color of Iggy's tentacles.

"This way," Niko ordered, as he transformed into a black squid and swam up the wall.

 _Oh, what the hell_ , Iggy thought to himself. He swam up the wall after his brother. They emerged on a rooftop in the middle of downtown Inkopolis. Iggy looked around at the city in awe. He could clearly see Inkopolis Tower in the distance. He suppressed his temptation to look down where they were standing. He didn't have a fear of heights, but they were still pretty high up.

"Ok, we need to travel, rooftop to rooftop. It's the best way," Niko told him while scouting the area. Iggy gulped.

"But where are we going?" Iggy wondered aloud.

"No questions! Just trust me," he insisted once again.

 _But, why should I?_ A part of Iggy wanted to say. "At least answer one question, what was with the black smoke and glowing eyes?" Iggy asked.

"I can harness the power of hell," he said deadpanned. Iggy gasped and stepped away from Niko.

"Wuh-What d-do you m-mean?" Iggy stammered. Niko couldn't help but laugh hysterically at Iggy's reaction.

"I'm just kidding Igg, there is no such thing. Nah, what you saw is something called Ink Armor," He said pointing at his black bandana which was now hanging down like a scarf. "It's an early development of something that might come to Turf Wars sometime in the future. I just use it as a scare tactic," he admitted. "But it can be useful at times." Iggy was a bit disappointed, but also relieved that his brother wasn't possessed or something.

"That's pretty cool… I guess," Iggy said meekly. He eyed his brother's tentacles "What about the black tentacles? They used to be pink like mine," Iggy asked. The smile on Niko's face faded. He got a distressed look on his face and looked at Iggy.

"You said one question, we're done," he said coldly. Iggy decided to shut up after that.

They walked across the rooftops in silence for a while, they were going towards Inkopolis Tower. Since Inkopolis was a large city, the buildings were so close together they could just hop between them. Iggy was looking off into at the horizon, a distraught look on his face. Niko was facing forward, with a hardened expression. Eventually, the boys reached a gap between buildings that was too far to just jump across. Niko scanned the area. He looked at Iggy, and smirked.

"Wait here," he ordered. Then, he sprung off the edge of the roof.

"NIKO!" Iggy screamed and looked off the side of the building. His brother had landed on some sort of construction crane only a few meters below the edge.

Niko threw a suction bomb near the top of the next building. He ran across the crane's shaft that was angled towards the building. He quickly pulled out his weapon and inked the side of the building in a vertical line towards the bomb's blast. Before he reached the edge of the crane, he leaped towards the inked wall. He transformed into a squid midair and landed in the ink. He swam up the wall and emerged on top of the distant building. He dusted himself off and looked at Iggy on the other side. Iggy was frozen in disbelief of Niko's excellent parkour skills. Of his few memories of Niko, Iggy never remembered him being extremely athletic, and he never took a single gymnastics course.

"Geez, Niko!" Iggy marveled. "When did you get so badass?" he demanded. His older brother smirked.

"Like I said, no more questions. And watch your language," He said trying to look angry. Iggy rolled his eyes. "Now… your turn," Niko said, gesturing towards the crane. Iggy put his hands up and shook his head.

"W-wait! I can't do that!" he protested.

"Come on Igg, I remember you being the smart kid," Niko said with a smirk. Iggy thought for a moment. Then he had it. A smile appeared on his face. He turned into a squid, built up his strength, and super jumped to his brother. He landed with one fist to the ground, on a knee, with his other hand into the air. He smiled up at his brother.

"Damn," Niko remarked with an impressed look. "I knew you had it in you. Now, we must continue," Niko said. He turned and kept heading towards Inkopolis Tower. Iggy continued following him across the rooftops, but sometime along the way he had a troubling thought.

 _What is Sam going to think about all of this?_ Iggy wondered. Sam was always more sensitive about Niko's vanishing, and although she loved him, many times she had stated that she could never forgive him for abandoning their mother.

Sam's relationship with Niko was very close, and she was utterly heartbroken after the first month of his complete silence. She didn't understand how the brother she looked up to would let down the family. Iggy wasn't sure if she would be okay with the two of them being together without her knowing about it.

He looked at his older brother ahead of him. Asking questions seemed to be ineffective, but he could ponder about the strange occurrences lately. Ever since they met Jack at the train station, things have been very abnormal. He finally found out who had given him the Aerospray, but he still had suspicions about Jack and Alex's conversation. He couldn't shake the idea that they may have something to do with those four green inklings from before. Iggy wanted to tell Niko, about his encounter at the ice machine, but maybe he wouldn't care. Iggy didn't tell Sam, so why would he tell anybody else?

 _Maybe Niko already knows. He did say that he was looking after the family, and as vague as it is, maybe he was being serious,_ he thought. Iggy gulped. He had a feeling that a greater threat was approaching. He looked at his brother, at his black tentacles. _Something is not right here,_ he thought.

They continued to navigate across countless rooftops. If the gaps were too wide, Niko would make his way over in a series of jumps, and Iggy would super jump each time. Iggy could even see Greenfield Condominiums in the distance. After about ten minutes, the tower was only a few hundred feet away from them. Iggy down to his right and saw Inkopolis Plaza.

"Uh, can't people in the plaza see us?" Iggy asked his brother "They might not like us being up here." Niko shook his head.

"As long as we don't go any closer that way, we should be fine." He replied pointing towards the plaza. Iggy noticed Sheldon's testing range for inklings interested in different weapons. He thought it was cool seeing it from a bird's eye view. They walked past the white dog statue, and Iggy's eyes followed the nearby train tracks that had taken them into town yesterday. He saw much larger skyscrapers in the distance to the north, and hoped that was not their destination.

"Are we there yet? Wherever there is?" Iggy asked impatiently.

"Nearly. It's just up ahead," he reassured him, as he kept moving forward. They reached the edge of the building, and there weren't any more buildings to jump to.

"What do we do now?" Iggy demanded. Niko pointed down at the lot beneath them.

"Here," he said, and jumped off the building. He sprayed pink ink in midair, landing in the puddle in his squid form. Niko emerged out of the ink, and looked back up at Iggy. He narrowed his eyes at his younger brother, who had a nervous look on his face. "What are you doing Iggy?" he chuckled. Iggy glared down at the ground below him.

"Uh, I don't know…" he said timidly.

"Just go!" Niko yelled impatiently. Iggy gulped and readied himself.

 _Ok… it's just like Moray Towers,_ He thought to himself. He took a deep breath and sprinted off of the building.

"AHHHHHH!" he screamed as he fell into the ink as a squid. He emerged, and he doubled over, hyperventilating. Niko crossed his arms.

"Nice dude… you could have just super jumped though," he said. Iggy looked at his brother, then face palmed at his own stupidity.

"Ughhhhhhh," He groaned. After a few seconds, Iggy regained his composure and stood up straight. He peered at his surroundings. They seemed to be right outside the Plaza, in an inaccessible area. They were standing in a concrete lot.

"We came all this way for nothing?" Iggy asked with a frown. "Why didn't we just take a taxi?" he asked.

"Not for nothing," Niko said, walking towards Inkopolis Tower, which was right next to them. As they approached, Iggy noticed that there was a single porta-potty right near the tower. Niko was walking right towards it. He stopped and front of it and faced Iggy. "Here," he said, gesturing his hand to the door.

"Seriously?" Iggy asked with a raised eyebrow. Niko grabbed hold of the door, then proceeded to swing it open. What was inside surprised Iggy. There was a small grate that seemed to lead underground.

"Follow me," Niko ordered. He then transformed into a black squid and sank into the kettle. Iggy stopped himself for a minute.

 _Ok, here I am, following my brother who I haven't seen in four years, into some strange underground area that happens to be a hidden in a toilet,_ he thought to himself.

"Why not," he said aloud, jumping into the grate.

…

Iggy materialized in a strange room. He returned to his humanoid form and dusted himself off. Iggy raised his eyes and gasped in awe. The room was cylindrical and lit with neon blue lights. There was a large computer on the opposite wall of the entrance, which was flashing different colors. The center was an open space, and few chairs were stacked to the side.

"What is this place?" Iggy asked, glancing around the small room trying to take it all in.

"This is where I give you the answers you've been searching for," Niko's voice said, yet he was nowhere to be seen. The chair in front of the computer turned around revealing him. Iggy stared at his older brother. "I'm waiting," Niko said with a tense expression. Iggy took a deep breath, and exhaled sharply.

"Ok… why did you leave us?" Iggy said slowly. Niko's facial expression hardened. He looked down at the ground and sighed.

"Igg, I got into some trouble… with bad people," he started slowly. Iggy didn't respond, as he was listening intently.

"And after I upset these people, I became worried that they might take their anger out on my family," he admitted.

"So, I severed contact with all of you, to keep you safe," he finished. Iggy tried to take in what his brother just told him. He thought out a response.

"Niko… what kind of trouble?" he asked meekly. Niko waved his hand dismissively.

"Never mind the details, Igg," he said. "All that matters is that you know you are always safe. I will always look after you and your sister. Next question," he ordered. Iggy glanced at Niko. He couldn't decide what question to ask. He had millions, but his mind had blanked out.

"Um… why do you have black tentacles?" Iggy asked scratching his head. Niko furrowed his brow.

"That's seriously your question?" he asked with a mocking laugh.

"Answers, Niko," Iggy asked with a raised eyebrow. Niko gazed back at the pink inkling who was looking at him with an impatient expression.

"I dyed it. I went to a stylist and I got it dyed. I thought you were going to ask important questions?" Niko remarked, leaning back in his chair.

"I had to start somewhere," Iggy muttered. "I don't know, Niko. I've never seen an inkling with black tentacles, even dyed. I didn't even know they had black dye," he responded. Niko said nothing. Iggy crossed his arms. "What about those guys from the alley?" Iggy asked with a frown. "They nearly mugged me! Is that because of you?" he demanded. Niko shook his head furiously.

"What? No! No…" he responded. "You clearly don't know Inkopolis," he huffed. Iggy tilted his head.

"Eh? What is that supposed to mean?" Iggy asked him.

"It means there are a bunch of weirdos here," Niko said with a bored look. "They probably just wanted to give you a full body massage or something. You'll get used to it," he assured him. Iggy averted his eyes away from Niko. He couldn't argue with that.

 _Maybe that explains the Jack situation._ he thought. _Still, that seemed a bit more than weirdos,_ he almost said to his older brother. Niko glared Iggy, who seemed to be starting off into space.

"Any more questions?" Niko asked, snapping the boy back into reality.

"Um… Sam and I keep being pestered by these green bastards… you wouldn't know anything about that would you?" That got Niko's attention. He made full eye contact with his brother.

"Green bastards? What green bastards?" He demanded. Iggy sighed.

"There is this guy that keeps showing up… acting all strange. I think his name is Jack," Iggy admitted. Niko just stared at his younger brother in disbelief.

 _Oh no, that's not good... not at all,_ he thought to himself worriedly. He forced a relieved expression. "Oh… don't think I know him," he replied deadpanned. Iggy gave Niko a frustrated look.

"Huh? What's with you?" Iggy demanded. Niko just shook his head.

"Next question," he insisted. Iggy searched his mind for another question.

"Um…" he started, rubbing his eyes. "I don't know Niko… I'm tired from all of that roof hopping," he admitted with a yawn. Niko stood up from his chair.

"Alright buddy," he said with a bit of relief. He walked over to the wall of the bunker and grabbed a metal latch that Iggy hadn't noticed before. Niko pulled on the latch, and a door opened to another area. Iggy raised his arms.

"How big is this place?" he yelled in amazement. He walked into the newly revealed room. It was lit with the same blue lighting as the first room, yet it was rectangular like a regular room. The only thing inside the room was a bed. Niko looked at his younger brother with a raised eyebrow.

"Didn't get any sleep?" he asked him. Iggy was still staring at the bed.

"Um… I slept fine. I'm just a little exhausted is all," he mumbled. Niko gestured him over to the bed. Iggy kicked off his shoes and lunged onto the bed. He smiled and looked at Niko.

"You know… I still don't understand why you have this place," he said, laughing a little. Niko walked towards the door, and looked back at his younger brother.

"Yeah, I've become a pretty strange person, Igg. Remember when I told you there were a bunch of weirdos in Inkopolis? Well…" he pointed to himself and smiled. Iggy chuckled sleepily. Niko pushed a glowing button on the wall, and the blue lights dimmed down almost completely off, but just enough where Iggy could see the shadow of his brother.

"Alright, I'll wake you up in a bit," he promised in a whisper. Niko turned around and grabbed the door to shut it.

"I love you Niko," Iggy mumbled.

The boy froze. He turned around once again and gazed at his brother, who was now sound asleep. Niko felt his heart sink, and he choked back tears. He shook himself, and shut the door.

Niko exhaled sharply, pinching his temples. He walked over to his computer, and slumped onto his chair. He stared at the screen angrily.

 _He can never know the truth,_ He thought to himself. Niko pressed a button on his keyboard, which caused the monitor to turn on. The computer screen showed a picture of Niko's face. Under the picture, the word 'WANTED' was printed in large text. Niko gritted his teeth at the image. He pushed another button, which turned off the screen. He stood up and violently marched towards the exit grate. He turned his head one last time towards the door that led into the bedroom.

"Rest, brother," Niko whispered softly. "You're gonna need it."


	7. Chapter 7 - Missing

Sam angrily checked her phone for the umpteenth time. Once again she scowled at her empty notification menu. Iggy had been gone for nearly an hour at that point.

"Ok, where the hell is my brother? I swear if he ditched us to play Turf Wars…" Sam growled.

"Hey, it's not his fault," Felix responded. "Maybe he saw some hot girls going into the lobby, and he couldn't help himself. He is at that age you know," he laughed with a sly grin. Dani sneered at him, annoyed.

"Shut up, Felix! You're just saying what YOU would do. I doubt Iggy is as thirsty as you," she snapped. Felix gave her a forced frown.

"Aww, low blow sis," he pouted, pretending to be hurt by her comment. She rolled her eyes, then turned back to Sam.

"Have you tried calling him? if he is in a Turf War he might have turned off his phone. Then we can get an idea of where he went," she said.

"Uh, maybe I should have started with that… heh heh," she said with an embarrassed expression. She quickly dialed Iggy. She tapped her foot as the phone rang. No answer. She slammed her fist on the futon. "THAT STUPID SQUID! Did he actually just ditch us?" Sam yelled.

"Told you so. Looks like the poor guy couldn't help himself," Felix chuckled.

"You are such an idiot, Felix," Dani growled, glaring at her brother. He shrugged, and took a swig of his sparkling water.

"Yeah, you say that now, but when he comes back with a girl on each shoulder don't say I didn't warn ya," he joked. Sam shook her head in frustration.

"I think we should go looking for him," she suggested. "It's not normal for him to do something like this," she said with a hint of worry in her voice. Dani scratched her chin.

"Are you really that worried? If I were you, I wouldn't think too much of it. Maybe he did ditch us for Turf Wars, but is that a bad thing? Nope. Some people are afraid of turf wars, and they have to deal with society's ridicule. He's just being a kid, like all of us should be doing," she told her. Sam blinked. She was gazing at Dani, surprised that her advice actually made a lot of sense. Sam would usually object, but she couldn't this time. Dani was right.

"Well… you have a good point there. I guess I'm just a bit over-protective over my brother…" she admitted. Felix was eying both girls intently. He swiftly lifted his pointer finger into the air.

"I know what to do!" he remarked. The girls glanced at him expectantly. "I'll eat another donut!" he beamed with a grin. Both girls groaned in anger.

"Ah, so you're the guy with the jokes," Sam said trying to suppress a smirk. He gave her a thumbs up.

"I guess you could say that," he said as he snatched up another pastry.

"That's not even remotely funny!" Dani said with disgust. She pulled out her phone and started texting. Felix chuckled and walked over to the kitchen. He grabbed three cups out of the pantry, and started juggling them.

"…Well that was a bit random," Sam said with a little laugh. She turned back to Dani. "I'm sorry Dan, I believe you, but I still have my doubts. I would like to think he's battling, but a part of me knows he wouldn't do that, he would want to wait for us," Sam said.

"Hey, you don't need to apologize. You know your brother better than I do. You might have a better idea of where he went," Dani replied.

"Thanks Dani, I like your outlook on things," she complimented. Sam repeated the girl's words in her mind over and over again.

"You're welcome," she replied simply. "Everything's going to be fine," she insisted.

"But it is strange…" she started. "Iggy isn't the type to run off without telling anyone…" Sam trailed off. She looked away from her friend. _Like Niko,_ she added in her mind. The more she thought about it, the more troubled she became. "So maybe I don't know my brother after all…" she mumbled. Dani noticed the conversation was going sour, and tried to change the subject.

"Well it's no use for us to just sit here. Maybe we should walk down to the plaza to go see what he's up to," she remarked. Sam rubbed her chin in thought and nodded.

"Alright, that may be a good idea…" she said.

"Awesome!" Dani exclaimed in excitement. "Maybe when we're done with breakfast we can go searching for him," she suggested. Sam nodded, but then her smile faded.

"Well… if you were right and Iggy is seriously battling right now, then I want to go looking for him pretty soon. There's no way I'm allowing him to become more skilled than me…" she muttered.

A scowl appeared on her face. Then she became irritated, which quickly became anger. _Oh… you think you're gonna get a head start? We'll see about that brother!_ She yelled to herself.

"We are going to find him right now!" she yelled. Dani looked at her sideways, and Felix looked at her with a furrowed brow. He caught stopped juggling and set the cups down on his way back into the living room.

"Hey, what's with all the yelling? I thought that was my job," he joked. Sam became aware her unusual behavior and blushed. "Sorry, I just… want to find out where he went," she admitted. Felix smirked.

"Aww, you DO care about your brother, that's so cute," he cooed. Sam was shocked that a younger boy would try teasing her, especially one she just met.

"Ha! Don't sass me, boy. I'll sass you back in ways you couldn't even comprehend!" she said, placing her hands on her hips. Felix made a scared face.

"Oh no! Please, spare me!" he joked.

"Why you little…" she started towards him. A sudden knock at the door stopped her. Sam stopped in her tracks and frowned at the door.

"Hey look, he's back. About time," Dani said with a smile. Felix looked at the door, then back at Sam and grinned.

"Looks like you'll have to wait a bit longer to pummel me senseless," he remarked with a wink. Sam rolled her eyes and marched to the door. She swung open the door angrily.

"WHAT TOOK YOU SO-" she stopped, realizing the knocker wasn't Iggy. Instead, Alex stood at the door with a confused smile.

"Um…bad time?" he said raising an eyebrow his head. Sam blushed in embarrassment. "N-no… uh… dammit. Sorry, I thought you were my brother, we've been looking for him," Sam mumbled. Alex's smile faded.

"He's not here?" he asked. Sam was about to answer, but she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Wait a second… How do you know where we live?" she demanded. Alex laughed at her sudden change in tone.

"Dani texted me and told me you guys were having donuts. She asked if I wanted stop by. Besides, it says your brother's name on the door," he said, pointing at the numbers. Sam groaned and stepped out of his way.

"Just come in," she muttered. Alex stepped inside. He looked around their apartment.

"Nice place," he complimented, giving her an impressed look. He noticed the other two inklings.

"Hey Dani, Felix. Go to see ya," he said with a bow. Dani smiled and waved, while Felix grinned and saluted. Alex walked into the center of the room but when he looked at Sam his smile faded. "Well, I was really hoping to talk to your brother… I think him and I got off on the wrong foot," he admitted.

"Did you?" Dani asked with a confused mien. "You guys seemed fine to me," she told him. Sam nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, what do you mean, Alex? she asked him. He pursed his lips, eying the two girls in disbelief.

"You mean he didn't tell you?" he asked. Sam's eye twitched.

"Tell us what?" she asked, growing impatient. Felix was tuning them out by playing games on his phone. Alex blinked.

"Right, uh… Yeah. I saw him in the hallway… last night," he said with a confused look. Sam looked at him expectantly.

"And?" she asked. Alex didn't know what to say. He just shrugged.

"…I don't really know," he said slowly. Felix looked up from his game.

"Come on Sherlock. They obviously had an arm wrestle and Iggy lost. He got all butthurt about it, and now he ran away," he said, giving Sam a sly grin.

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP?" Dani yelled, glaring daggers at her brother. Alex chuckled, but saw the look Sam was giving him and cleared his throat, suppressing a smile.

"That's not exactly what happened. But I did try to approach him, but he seemed angry at me…I don't know why," Alex said. "I wanted to ask him what was wrong today, but I guess he's not here, so…" he faltered. Dani looked at him sideways.

"So, he meets somebody, but hates them the same day? Complicated squid," Dani said. Alex looked away, slightly hurt by her words. She noticed his reaction, feeling a bit guilty.

"Uh, I mean… I doubt he hates you. I just don't understand why he would act like that," she said quickly. Sam scowled at the thought of Iggy's behavior.

"He's such an idiot. I have no idea what his problem is," she snapped. "Come to think of it, we still have no real idea where he went," she added. Alex looked off to the side, with a look of urgency on his face. Sam furrowed her brow, about to say something, but his expression faded and he turned his gaze to her.

"Did he say anything before he left?" he asked her casually. Before she could answer, Felix cleared his throat.

"He was enslaved by these two to go find something to do today," Felix said, pointing at the girls. "What do you think he actually ran away? Psssh. He probably is just sight-seeing. The guy was totally in a good mood when he left," he added.

"Enslaved? Whatever Felix. Yeah, we wanted to do something together tonight, so we asked him to find a movie or something," Dani told Alex. He scratched the back of his head.

"And he hasn't come back?" he asked, looking at all of them.

"No…" Sam started. She was starting to get confused regarding Alex's odd behavior. "Alex you're acting strange… are you two seriously that upset with each other?" she inquired. Alex jumped in place and shook his head.

"No no no! I'm not upset with him… I just want to make sure he isn't upset with me," he said quickly. Suddenly, a loud song came from Alex's pocket. The sound was his phone ringing, the tone being Bomb Rush Blush. Dani grimaced.

"Seriously? Team Callie? Of course YOU would be Team Callie, nerd. Marie all the way," she beamed. Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse you, Callie is the ! She is the freshest squid on the block," she retorted. Felix grinned, giving her a thumbs up.

"Hey, maybe you aren't as ditzy as you look. Callie is clearly the best of the cousins," he chimed. Sam groaned, but decided to ignore his quip. Alex glanced at the Caller ID.

"Ah, sorry guys. I gotta take this," Alex started towards the door. He was about to leave but before the door shut, he caught it. "Oh yeah, you wanted something to do today? There's a concert tonight," he said with a smile, then shut the door.

"Catch you later, brochacho," Felix yelled. Dani huffed from being outnumbered.

"Hey, Marie won the Splatfest anyway, so you both can suck it," she laughed.

"Suck what?" He asked mischievously. She sneered at him, and Sam rolled her eyes.

…

Alex walked a few feet away from the door and answered his phone. "Ugh, what?" he asked with slight distaste.

"About time you answer!" Jack's voice hissed from the other line. "Have you taken care of our problem yet?" he asked, frustrated. Alex squeezed his eyes shut in annoyance.

"Look, get off my back for once! I understand why you have a sense of urgency, I do too! Just… maybe understand that today is my day off, and I'm sick of hearing about this all the time!" he muttered. There was a pause on the other line.

"Dude, chill. I'm just making sure we don't get yelled at again. I'm telling you though, you need to tell Ace that we found him, and we should prepare for phase two," he said. Alex frowned.

"YOU can tell Ace, I never agreed with you. Look, if it makes you feel any better, I called in some agents to keep an eye on the boy. It doesn't feel right, but I did it anyway," he admitted. He heard Jack sigh.

"I don't know why you doubt me, but thanks anyways," Jack said, disconnecting the call.

…

Jack tossed his phone onto his bed. He groaned and slumped down on a nearby chair. _What's been up with Alex lately?_ he thought to himself. He thought about his tone of voice; his overall demeanor. _He sounded unsteady, careful… almost like he was afraid._ A guilty frown appeared on Jack's face. He felt a bit sorry for berating his colleague on his day off. He reached for his phone to call him back with an apology, but a knock at his door stopped him. He furrowed his brow, not expecting any visitors. He approached the door, then swung it open. Four inklings stood at the door with troubled looks, they were panting, and all wearing the same green garb.

"Sorry to bother you, Lieutenant!" one of them exclaimed, his hands on his knees.

"Alex told us to report back to you after the assignment," another one declared.

"We had him cornered, the kid, but then you-know-who showed up!" the first one stammered. Jack looked off to the side with a grimace.

"Ugh, enough. Get back to your rooms, I'll handle this," he said angrily. They all nodded and quickly disbanded. Jack shut the door and swiftly turned around. He balled his fists, and took a deep breath, then out. He glanced at his nearby mirror, seeing the sad lonely boy that he recognized all too well, and scowled at the reflection.

 _You're a failure,_ he thought to himself. Jack shook his head, sighing once again. He peered over to his closet, eying his blaster that was leaned up against the wall. He jogged over to the weapon and lifted it up. The blaster was made of solid metal. He glanced towards the door.

"I'll do this myself."

…

Niko walked across rooftops, trying to clear his mind. He always knew his brother would be coming to Inkopolis eventually, but not like this.

 _Already they are after him…_ he thought with despair. He gritted his teeth, and kicked at the ground in frustration. For once in his life, he had no clue what to do next. Iggy was nearly captured by those grunts, and if they succeeded, who knows what they would have done to him. He glanced to the sky and sighed to himself.

 _We live in a cruel world, and a cruel world only houses crueler people,_ he thought to himself. Suddenly, a loud scream from a few blocks away made him jump.

"NIKO, HELP ME!" the voice yelled in distress. Niko's heart skipped a beat.

 _What?!_ he thought frantically. He broke into a run towards the scream, alarmed. _WHO WAS THAT?_ he wanted to scream. He sprinted across rooftops, his heart racing as he ran. The adrenaline coursed through his veins, allowing him to run even faster than he ever had. He controlled his breathing, and leaped across large gaps.

 _Was that my sister?_ he thought in a panic. _Did they find her too?_ He approached the Alley that the voice was coming from. Without thinking, he jumped down from the rooftop and landed on his feet. He winced from the pain, but he had no bones to break, so he shook himself off and whirled around to the origin of the voice. He froze. Standing in front of him, was a girl that Niko didn't recognize. Beside her, a green-clothed inkling was scowling at him.

"Thanks for that. Now… run off," Jack ordered, handing the girl a pouch of money. She glanced at Niko, then skipped away. Jack returned his attention on Niko; they exchanged menacing scowls.

"You're sick," Niko hissed.

"I had to get your attention somehow," Jack retorted with disinterest. Niko tried to speak but Jack put his hand up. "Listen, you and I both know what has to happen next," he stated. Niko shook his head.

"That's not going to happen. You and the rest of your stupid cult will come nowhere near my family," Niko snapped. Jack glared at him.

"Do you realize you are the only one prolonging this dispute? Your brother is dangerous, and you know that. If we wait too long, terrible things could happen…" Niko inhaled through his nose, trying not to attack him on the spot.

"You people overwhelming him is only making things worse. I have everything under control, just leave us alone!" Niko yelled.

"You think you're so smart? How about you wake up. Sometimes, sacrifices need to be made to save more people in the long run," Jack snapped. Niko gritted his teeth. His anger got the best of him. Before the green inkling could even react, Niko sprinted at him and firmly grabbed him by the collar. He wriggled trying to break free, but Niko held him steady.

"You don't give a shit about saving anyone! I know who you are. You're the kind of guy who thinks he's doing the right thing, but instead, is fulfilling his own desire out of fear. Let that fear sink in, boy. If you hurt anyone else, you'll wish you never lived," he thundered. He shoved him away. Jack coughed and looked at Niko angrily.

"You fool! Your stubbornness will cost Inkopolis!" he managed, and as the words escaped his lips, he turned and ran away. Niko stood his ground. Without thinking, he pulled out a splat bomb and hurled it in Jack's direction with a yell. But he had already disappeared, as gray ink exploded all over the alley.


	8. Chapter 8 - Enemies?

Iggy stirred. He sat up groggily, and peered around. After a few seconds, he remembered that he was in his brother's bunker. He rubbed his eyes and glanced around the room.

"Niko?" he called out groggily. immediately he heard an electronic whirring, and the blue lights slowly brightened. The door opened revealing a smiling Niko.

"Ah, you're awake, sleepyhead. Welcome back," the dark inkling spoke. Iggy stared at him curiously.

"Hey Niko… how long was I asleep?" he asked. Niko glanced at his watch for a few seconds.

"Mmm, about two hours I believe," he said. "Sleep well?"

"Two hours? Why did you let me nap so long?" Iggy asked, slightly annoyed. Niko shrugged.

"You looked like you needed it. I know how tough rooftop hopping can be on the body," he said calmly. Iggy rubbed his eyes, and swung his legs off the bed. Then he remembered everything that was going on.

"Ugh…" he groaned with a grimace. A look of concern appeared on Niko's face, and he approached his brother.

"What's wrong, Igg?" he asked him softly. Iggy glanced back at him.

"Inkopolis… it's not how everyone described it," he said sadly. Niko gulped. Seeing his brother that distressed was not a good sign.

"How did everyone describe it?" he asked. Iggy looked at Niko in the eyes.

"I don't know… everyone always talked about how it was the greatest city to ever exist, everyone is happy, fresh, kind… but I just don't see it," he muttered. Niko sat down on the bed and put his arm around him.

"Hey… it's not so bad. You're telling me you haven't met _anyone_ with those qualities?" he asked him with a raised eyebrow. Iggy raised his eyes to the ceiling in thought. He remembered the new friends that he had made; they definitely fit those qualities in his opinion. Iggy smiled a bit.

"I guess I have. Maybe I shouldn't be so pessimistic," he said hopefully. Niko gave him a firm pat on the back.

"That's right. Life is hard sometimes, but you'll pull through. We need the bad moments in our lives so we can appreciate the good ones," he said encouragingly. Iggy raised his eyebrows at his brother.

"Wow, that's a really good point, Niko. Thanks…" he said, his mood slightly raised. Niko stood from the bed and faced him.

"Alright buddy, do you want to do something today?" he asked, starting towards the bedroom door. Iggy stood up to follow him.

"Yeah, I was supposed to find something to do today…" he faltered as he remembered his sister's request. His mouth dropped.

"OH NO! SAM IS GOING TO KILL ME!" he yelled in realization. Niko turned to him with a frown.

"What? Why?" Niko asked curiously. Iggy grabbed his temples and walked past Niko into the other room.

"I promised her that I would be back in a few minutes! It's been hours!" he yelled. Niko followed him, looking at him in disbelief.

"Hey, wait!" he called out. He noticed that Iggy was walking over to the exit.

"…So, you're leaving?" he asked with a little sadness in his voice. Iggy averted his eyes from Niko. He did feel slightly guilty that he was leaving his brother after not seeing him for four years. Then he had an idea.

"Hey! Wait a second, what am I thinking? You can come with me! You'll get to see Sam!" he suggested as his face lightened up. Niko stopped in his tracks, a nervous expression appearing on his face.

"Oh…" was all he managed to say. Iggy narrowed his eyes at the dark inkling.

"Niko… you do want to see Sam… right?" he asked him slowly. Niko looked uneasy, as he cleared his throat.

"Of course I want to see her, Igg," he said after a few seconds of silence. "It's just… things are difficult sometimes with her," he mumbled, clearly uncomfortable. Iggy scratched his chin, then sighed.

"Well… you don't _have_ to come. I just wanted to throw the idea out there," he said. Niko walked closer to him.

"No, it's okay Iggy. I'll… tag along," he said with a smile. Iggy was surprised at first, but then he grinned.

"Thanks Niko… it means a lot," he whispered. Niko bowed with a smile.

"Alright, go on ahead. I'll be right out," he promised. Iggy nodded, and grabbed hold of the ladder that led out of the bunker. Niko watched as his younger brother climbed the ladder out of the bunker. As soon as he made it outside, the smile on his face disappeared.

He exhaled sharply. He walked over to his computer, where his metallic blue Splattershot was in a display case nearby. He removed the weapon from the display case, and slipped on a concealed ink tank under his jacket. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He exhaled, then climbed after his brother.

…

Iggy opened the porta-potty's door. He stepped outside, shielding his eyes from the sun. It appeared to be noon.

"Wow it really is bright out here," he said to himself. He turned back to the bunker's entrance. "Niko?" he asked, as he still hadn't appeared. On cue, the grate opened up. Niko stepped out and dusted himself off. He faced Iggy with a smile.

"Alright… which way bro?" he asked. Iggy studied his surroundings. Niko noticed that he was frowning.

"What's the matter? Can't figure out how to get back to the plaza?" he asked. Iggy nodded.

"There doesn't seem to be a way back. How do you usually get around? You know… besides roof hopping," he asked. Niko gave him a sly smile. He pointed up at the last building they jumped off of earlier, the one with the white dog statue. Niko squinted his eyes at the top of the building.

"What?" he asked. "I don't see any-" he stopped as he noticed a small object on the roof. "Is that a squid beakon?" Iggy asked, slightly impressed. Niko gave a smug nod.

"That's right. I always have a plan buddy," he beamed. "Alright. Wait here," he ordered. He eyed the squid beakon, and built up his strength. Niko sprung off the ground at alarming speed, nearly causing Iggy to fall over. He spun around in midair, right before landing on the device, which dissolved back into ink. He walked to the edge of the rooftop, and gave Iggy a thumbs up. "Alright, come on!" he yelled. Iggy nodded, steadying himself. He super jumped to Niko, but this time, he overestimated the height of the building, screwing up his landing.

"Whoa... OOF," he groaned, as he impacted the rooftop. He landed on his side, rolling a few times. Niko cringed at the sight of the landing. He gave Iggy a concerned look, who was laying on the ground rubbing his arm. "Ow…" he complained, slightly embarrassed from his wipeout.

"Geez Igg… are you alright?" he asked. Iggy groaned.

"Ugh… yeah. I'll be fine," he muttered. Niko grabbed his brother's wrist and hoisted him off the ground. "Thanks," Iggy uttered, trying to hide his pain. Niko promptly turned towards the plaza, scanning the area from above.

"Hmm…" he hummed, as Iggy walked up next to him. "This would be the best time to go down," he said, analyzing the crowds. There were few inklings wandering about the plaza. Since it was noon, most residents of Inkopolis were in the middle of battling, as it was the most popular time to do so. "Are you ready?" he asked his brother. The pink inkling nodded his head eagerly. Niko grinned in approval, then without warning, hopped off the side of the building. Iggy got ahead of himself, darting after Niko at alarming speed. Both boys landed properly this time, right in front of Ammo Knights. Since Inklings don't have bones, they can make greater leaps, but the two still winced in slight pain, as the impact still stressed their bodies. Iggy stood up, and smiled in satisfaction.

"Cool! We're back in the plaza!" he exclaimed. He turned towards his brother. "Ready to go, Ni-" Iggy froze when he noticed the look on Niko's face. His skin was paler than usual, and his eyes were wide, like prey hearing the creep of a predator. Iggy became worried, and tugged on his black jacket. "N-Niko? What's wr-wrong?" he demanded, trying to sound less worried than he actually was. Niko gulped as he eyed the plaza. There were no more than a dozen inklings wandering about, and though they didn't notice their fall, a few of them were staring at him curiously.

"Does that guy have black hair? What the hell?!" a teenage girl said to her friend, as she pointed at Niko. He snapped back to reality and realized his younger brother was gawking at him.

"Oh… sorry Igg, it's been a while since I've… been here…" he admitted. Iggy watched his brother's movements. He looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion.

"Are you going to be alright?" he asked, still alarmed. Niko shook himself, and nodded meekly.

"Just take me to your apartment please," he begged, forcing a smile.

 _Okaaaaaay,_ Iggy thought to himself. He gestured his hand in the direction of Greenfield Condominiums. As they walked to the condo, Iggy periodically glanced at Niko to read his expression. He always looked slightly tense, but would just smile back at Iggy and continue walking. Every time they passed another inkling, the passerby would furrow their brow at Niko and keep their distance. Not a word was spoken between the two until they got inside. They entered the Lobby, but Niko grabbed Iggy's bicep.

"Wait… you live _here_?" Niko asked, jerking his head around even more than before. Iggy couldn't help but chuckle at his brother's spastic behavior.

"Yeah… Mom's old place. You could have lived here too, but I guess you like porta-potty hideouts better," he teased. Niko stared at Iggy, shocked that he made such a remark. Iggy led him to the elevator, and pushed the up-arrow button.

Ding.

An empty elevator opened up, waiting for the boys to step inside. They entered, and Iggy pressed the button that would take them to the eighteenth floor. The doors slid shut.

"There is something I forgot to mention, Igg," Niko whispered in a nervous tone. He was averting his eyes from Iggy. "The Aerospray I gave you is no ordinary weapon. There's a special modification that I've made that I want you to use if you ever feel in danger," he said quickly. Iggy's heart rate began to increase. "If you twist the dial near the trigger, your ink will-"

Ding.

He was interrupted by the elevator opening to the eighteenth floor. A group of girls were waiting in front of the elevator doors, they noticed the boys and waved. The brothers stepped into the hallway. Niko raised an eyebrow at the girls, as they were the first people who weren't phased by his strange appearance. They giggled to each other, as they walked into the elevator previously occupied by the boys. Iggy made eye-contact with one of the girls, and she smiled at him. Iggy's face felt hot, as the girl winked at him. The doors slid shut, leaving the brothers alone in the hallway.

"That was… strange," Iggy remarked, rubbing the back of his neck. "Anyway… what were you going to say?" he asked. Niko blinked. He faced Iggy, his expression still slightly tense.

"Oh… that. Yeah I'll tell you later, when we're in private," he uttered quickly. Iggy tilted his head to the side.

"But we're alone right now…" he pointed out. Niko shook his head. He pointed around the hallway at all of the doors.

"Not quite," he whispered. Iggy sighed. He started towards his room, Niko following close behind him. Seemingly out of nowhere, he felt extremely nervous. He wasn't exactly excited to confront his sister; he knew she would be furious with him for wandering off. But he was even more nervous about Niko's presence. They walked towards their room, and thoughts swarmed Iggy's mind.

 _What is Sam going to think about me being with Niko? What is he going to tell her? What are Dani and Felix going to think?_ Iggy almost wanted to tell Niko to turn around, to run away. He certainly wasn't ready for what might happen in a few seconds.

They reached door 1884.

Iggy turned his head towards his older brother. Niko nodded supportively, managing a small smile. Iggy blew air through his mouth. He lifted his arm, his hand shaking, then knocked a few times on the front door. Niko placed his hand firmly on Iggy's shoulder. He gazed up at the darkly clothed inkling.

"The most important lesson that I want you to understand, is to be careful who you tell your secrets to," Niko whispered, as he removed his hand from his brother's shoulder. Iggy heard the sound of the door being unlatched. He faced the door anticipating his sister's reaction. He gulped as the door opened, revealing an angry looking Sam.

"Oh, look who decided to show up," she hissed. Iggy glanced in Niko's direction, but he was shocked to see that Niko had disappeared. He glanced down the hallways. The dark inkling was nowhere in sight. Iggy's attention was sparked by an incoming palm. Sam slapped his face, making him flinch.

"OW! What the hell?!" he protested.

"ESTÚPIDO, ESTÚPIDO, ESTÚPIDO!" she said hitting him repeatedly.

"STOP!" he shouted. She opened the door wider and stepped out into the hallway. She suddenly embraced him, hugging him tightly. Saying Iggy was confused would be a huge understatement. Sam shoved him off of her.

"I was so worried about you!" she said, glaring at him. Iggy said nothing. He was still trying to process Niko's disappearance. He was so mentally prepared for his siblings' reunion, that his mind was completely blank. Sam tugged on Iggy's arm, prompting him to follow her back into their apartment. He looked over, noticing that Felix and Dani were playing poker. They both noticed him come in. They looked slightly curious about where he had been. Sam turned towards him, staring at him expectantly. "Well? Where have you been all morning?" she demanded. Iggy tried to think of an excuse. His mind was in complete disarray.

"I… wanted to get ahead of you in Turf Wars," he lied. Dani overheard his response and snickered. Felix grinned, giving Sam a 'told you so' expression. Sam rolled her eyes.

"You're an idiot, Iggy. I don't care if you play Turf Wars, just… please tell me first," she pleaded, as she playfully swatted his arm. Iggy stared at her in disbelief. She was surprisingly less upset than he expected. He couldn't keep his mind off Niko, but he forced himself to focus on his friends. He cleared his throat.

"Uh… I couldn't find anything to do today, so do you guys wanna just play poker for today?" he asked nonchalantly. Sam closed the door behind them, then joined them in the center of the room. Dani gave him the usual smirk, which he actually adored, and shook her head.

"No, we're going to a concert tonight dude, you in?" She stood from the futon and walked closer to him. Iggy stared at her blankly. "I was _really_ hoping you'd say yes. It wouldn't be the same without you," she told him. He lightly blushed, she was only a foot away from him. He didn't realize she was actually trying to seduce him.

"…I'm in," he said quickly. She smirked in success.

"Good," she said, poking his nose. She bounded back to her poker game. Iggy was left with a flustered expression. Felix grinned at him.

"Cool dude, It's a various artists concert, totally fresh. Alex actually invited us," he said. Sam noticed that Iggy was slightly paler than usual. She looked at him, slightly concerned.

"Iggy? Are you feeling okay? You look sick," she said in a softer tone. He realized his uneasiness was obvious, and formulated another excuse.

"Uh… I just need to lie down and catch my breath," he murmured, pointing at his bedroom door. Sam looked at him with pity.

"Sure bro, feel better," she said in a softer tone. Iggy excused himself and went into his room. Dani and Sam exchanged nervous looks.

"Huh, he looked pretty bad. Do you think he'll be alright?" she asked Sam.

"I'm not sure. I've never seen him like that before…" she murmured, rubbing her chin. Dani sighed.

"I really hope he'll be better by tonight. I want him to come to the concert," she admitted. Felix got a huge grin on his face.

"Ohhhhh, I see now. You wouldn't want your new boyfriend to miss out on his first date with you eh?" he teased. She scoffed and punched his arm hard.

"What the HELL, Felix? What are you even on right now?" she muttered. He cackled at her flustered reaction.

…

Iggy paced around his bedroom trying to think. He was still completely lost on how to approach the situation. Niko disappeared; Iggy had no idea why.

 _Should I tell Sam about him? How did he vanish like that anyway? Why did he say to be careful about my secrets?_ Iggy grabbed his temples in frustration. He slumped on his bed and rubbed his face. He suddenly felt frustrated.

 _Screw Niko then. If he wants to be difficult, then I'll just go to the concert and forget about him. All this garbage is seriously getting annoying_ , he thought.

Iggy had made up his mind. He was going to let things go and forget about his strange brother. He stood up, ready to ask his friends if they wanted to get some lunch. He approached his bedroom door, but his hand stopped before it reached the knob.

He remembered what Niko said about the Aerospray. He gulped, as he brought it out. He looked for the dial that Niko mentioned. He found it and twisted it. He heard a quiet mechanical sound coming from the internals of the weapon.

He glanced at his bedside table and noticed an apple left by the housekeeping staff. He walked over to the table, then snatched the fruit. He reached under the bed and brought out a spare shoebox that his mother left him, then placed the apple in the shoebox.

Iggy aimed his Aerospray at the apple, and opened fire. Strange gray colored ink spurted from the weapon. He lowered his weapon gazing at the fruit, observing it closely.

He watched in horror as the apple slowly shriveled up, until there was nothing left but a pile of gray sludge.


	9. Chapter 9 - Concert

The sun kissed the Inkopolis skyline, casting a bright orange glow across the skyscrapers. Inklings swarmed the plaza, some waiting in the long line into Inkopolis Café, and some waiting nearby the metro anticipating their commute. Turf wars would always close once the sun disappeared over the horizon; many inklings were wrapping up their final battles. Some people would battle the entire day, go home to sleep, then get up the next morning to repeat the process. A group of girls skipped out of the battle lobby cheering amongst themselves, and giving each other high-fives. A gloomy group of boys followed them, as they had lost against the girls in a ranked battle. Not long after, a familiar group of inklings emerged.

Iggy slumped down on a nearby bench. He and his friends had been battling for hours; he was extremely exhausted. If he distracted himself by playing Turf Wars, it helped him forget about everything strange that had happened over the last few days. Dani sat next to him, panting.

"Wow, I'm gonna be sore for days. Swinging that brush around for hours can get seriously tiring," she groaned, stretching her arms. Iggy nodded in agreement, fanning himself with his sweater's collar. Sam and Felix joined them on the bench. Felix clutching his shoulder.

"You're seriously complaining, sis? Have you ever tried lifting a Slosher? These things are so heavy," he complained, gesturing at the weapon.

"Not my fault you're a weakling inkling," Dani teased. The two exchanged a quick scowl, then Dani turned her attention to Sam. "Alright, how much longer until the concert?" she asked. The girl checked her phone, seeing she had a text message from Alex.

 _Hey, I'll come get you guys in an hour, that cool?_

She noticed the message was sent half an hour ago. She cupped her hand over her mouth.

"Oh no! We gotta get back to our rooms! He's going to meet us at my place in like thirty minutes!" she exclaimed. She quickly typed a response to Alex, then put her phone away. Iggy had nearly forgotten about the concert. Physical exertion usually caused his mind to go blank.

"Oh… okay. Yeah, is that cool with you guys?" he asked, turning towards Dani and Felix. Dani pointed finger guns at Iggy and nodded. Felix struck Callie's squid sister pose. Sam turned towards their new friends.

"Do you guys want to walk back to the condo?" she offered. Felix shook his head, pointing at Inkopolis Café.

"We're gonna grab some drinks. Don't worry, we'll be there in time," he assured her. Sam nodded.

"Alright sounds good, just be back quick!" she insisted. Sam turned to her brother. "Alright bro, ready to go?" she asked him. He nodded and stood up from the bench with a stretch.

"Alright, see you guys in a bit!" he said to his friends with a smile. Felix held up a peace sign and Dani winked at him. Sam turned away and began walking with towards their condo, Iggy soon followed. They crossed the street across from the plaza, then started across the block towards their condo.

"So…" Sam started. Iggy instantly didn't like the sound of that. It was rare when Sam wanted to have a serious conversation with him, but he could always sense when they were about to start. She cleared her throat.

"I've noticed that you've been somewhat… detached… today… yeah," she said slowly. Iggy furrowed his brow, legitimately confused.

"What do you mean?" he asked. She looked away from him.

"Iggy, you're a shy and generally quiet person. But today… it felt on purpose. I don't remember you smiling during any of the battles today," she said in a concerned tone. Iggy didn't say anything. "Iggy, are you upset with me?" she asked with a conflicted expression. Once again he didn't respond. Sam stepped in front of him, slightly annoyed. "I'm serious, I need to know if something's wrong." Iggy's face contorted into anger. Sam's concern became confusion.

"Look. It hasn't been the best day for me, alright? Being pushy towards someone when they're upset is literally the worst thing for them, so please just leave me be!" he barked. Sam stepped out of his way, not angry, but even more concerned about her brother's unusual behavior. Iggy stormed past her. She jogged to keep up with him. They arrived at the condos, where Sam followed the frustrated Iggy to the elevators. Once they entered the elevator, Sam slowly turned to Iggy.

"Look, I care about you, okay? I've seen these emotions before. I don't want you to turn out like… Niko," she whispered. Iggy's anger dissipated. Not only was he shocked that she actually mentioned his name, he was also startled how ironic that comment was considering his current situation. He averted his eyes and sighed, ashamed of his anger towards her.

 _I'm sorry Niko, but she needs to know…_ he thought. Iggy exhaled sharply, glancing nervously at his older sister. "Sam, there's something you need to know… about this morn-"

Ding.

The elevator door opened revealing Alex.

 _Damn this elevator!_ Iggy wanted to yell. Alex smiled at the two. Sam blushed, walking out of the elevator.

"Oh wow, you're super early Alex… like seriously why are you so early?" she asked him.

"I just wanted to stop by a bit earlier, I got nothing better to do," he chuckled. Sam slapped her knee.

"Hahaha! Sure thing! I just have to get out of these sweaty clothes!" she exclaimed, walking him to the room. Iggy darted out of the elevator and watched them walk away, completely ignoring his existence.

"But Sam…" he called after her, but faltered. He watched as they walked into the room, Sam not even looking back at him. He stopped for a moment and assessed his options. He could run over there and tell her the truth. He could tell her that he met Niko. But there was one thing stopping him.

 _I don't want to ruin her night; this concert is something she was looking forward to,_ he thought. He made up his mind. _I'll tell her tonight. After the concert. With no distractions,_ he decided.

He ran after them through the hallway, actually relieved for once.

…

A knock at the front door got Sam's attention. She opened it, welcoming Dani and Felix.

"Ready?" she asked. On cue, Iggy stepped out of his bedroom. He was wearing a White Shirt, White Arrows, and his contacts. Felix clapped his hands at Iggy's attire. The boy smiled, and Dani crossed her arms, impressed.

"Nice look, dude," she said with a smirk. Iggy glanced at his friends' outfits, but his eyes froze on Dani. She was wearing a School Uniform, School Shoes, and her signature Studio Headphones. Her sparkly eyes were looking back at him.

 _Wow... she's actually... hot,_ he thought, his face completely red. Sam was wearing the Squid Girl outfit, sans the headgear, as she preferred her Squid Nordic Hat. Felix wore a Tennis Headband, A Black Squideye shirt, and Mawcasins.

"Alright, it's time to go!" Dani said gleefully. The group of young inklings filed out their front door. Iggy looked at his sister. She gave him a reassuring pat.

"We'll figure things out," she said. He smiled. _I hope so,_ he almost said.

…

"Here we are," Dani announced, as they approached the venue.

"This is the night when all the best musicians show the world what they're made of, and we get to be a part of it!" Alex beamed.

"Best musicians?" Felix asked. "Why didn't they invite my twin sister? You're quite the shower-singer, Dani," he laughed. Dani blushed and swatted his ear. An evil smile appeared on Sam's face.

"Twin sister? You two are twins?" she asked. "I thought Felix was like, way younger than you," she teased. Dani snickered and gave Sam a high-five. Felix scowled at her.

"Oh, you think you'll get away with that? I'll get my payback," Felix threatened half-seriously.

"Come on guys!" Alex shouted. The five inklings filed inside.

"Wow, this is incredible!" Iggy said, looking around the area. "Where are we anyway?" he asked his friends. Felix grinned.

"Believe it or not, this is Blackbelly Skatepark. It was rented out for tonight's concert, and the decorating team transformed this competitive map into a venue in a matter of hours," he responded. Iggy glanced around one more time, realizing he was right. As they neared the center of the stage, where hundreds of inklings were standing around, the Neon lights that illuminated the area began to dim. The loud chattering lowered to whispers and everyone shifted their gaze to the top of the tower in the middle of the venue.

"Shhh! It's starting!" Felix whispered eagerly. Studio lights lit up the central tower, and a platform raised out of it with a young inkling at a piano. The boy smiled at the crowd, then began playing. The song was unrecognizable to Iggy, but he instantly was amazed by talent of someone so young. The speed that the inkling played at was unbelievable, and the crowd began cheering immediately. The pianist grinned, continuing to play with vigor.

"Woo!" Dani cheered. The empowering song earned a standing ovation from the crowd.

"He's so _good_!" Sam whispered loudly to Alex, who laughed at her amazement and nodded. After a minute or two, he finished the song with a final riff. Iggy couldn't suppress a grin, as he clapped enthusiastically. The boy bowed, tears of joy in his eyes, as the platform lowered.

"That was amazing!" Iggy exclaimed.

"Nice fangirling Iggy," Dani teased, nudging his arm, which made him blush. "Wanna grab a snack?" she asked him, gesturing at the nearby concessions booth.

"Uh, sure," he replied. As the next star began their song, Dani and Iggy walked to get their snacks Crusty Sean manned the concession booth, greeting the two with his classic

"Sup squiddos. What can I get for ya?" he asked them. Dani cleared her throat.

"I'll take the nachos; this guy will have…" Dani started.

"I'll take a small popcorn and a pink lemonade," Iggy finished, setting his money on the counter. Before Dani could react, Sean took the money and went to go get the food.

"Aww, I feel so lame. You didn't have to pay for me dude," she said. Iggy smirked at her with a slight blush.

"No problem, Dani. My pleasure," he said confidently. Sean brought back their snacks and handed them over.

"Thanks Sean," Dani said politely.

"And now, welcome rising band stars, Wet Floor!" An announcer… announced. Dani's eyes lit up.

"Oh, rad! I love these guys, let's go, Iggy! she said, pulling him by his hand. Iggy followed her back to the others.

 _I'm actually feeling like myself again,_ he thought with a smile.

…

The Inklings partied through almost a dozen more songs from various different inklings. Some famous stars, some newcomers, but all of the music was marvelous to Iggy.

"This is the best night EVER!" Sam yelled.

"I'm glad that you came with me," Alex said to her. Sam slightly blushed. The way he said that was somewhat flirtatious.

"Me too," she said in a loud whisper. They both smiled.

"And now, we have a _very_ special appearance!" called out the announcer. "Here to sing her solo hit, please welcome the one and only, MARIE!" The crowd screamed. Everyone stood up, and a mosh pit started.

"WHAT? HOLY SHIZ! MARIE?!" Dani screamed.

"Oh, so I'M the fangirl?" Iggy joked, channeling his inner Felix. Sam frowned at the two.

"Aww, whaaat? Sure, I like Marie, but where is Callie? She's the best!" Sam pouted.

"Yeah!" Alex and Felix agreed in unison. Dani rolled her eyes at them.

"No way. Marie's better. Right Iggy?" she asked him expectantly.

 _Score_ , he thought. He actually liked Marie more. "Hell yeah!" he shouted. Dani grinned and hugged Iggy out of nowhere. His cheeks turned cherry red, and he began sweating. Sam caught a glimpse of his face. Iggy's heart skipped a beat as their eyes met. _Oh no,_ he thought with dread. Sam grinned devilishly.

 _Bingo. He will never hear the end of this!_ She thought with glee. The sound of the platform raising made Dani pull away from Iggy, as she began applauding. All of the inklings watched in excitement as Marie appeared out of the tower. She gave a small smile to the crowd, her calm aura nearly silenced the crowd. The instrumentals of 'Tide Goes Out' began to play around the arena. Marie began snapping her fingers and swaying her hips. As she began singing, the crowd cheered again. The sound of hundreds of inklings singing along echoed through the night. Dani and Iggy were dancing in sync with Marie, along many more of her fans. The rest of Iggy's friends simply clapped to the beat.

Marie finished her song, and bowed to the crowd. As she lowered, her eyes seemed to be looking out into the distance. The crowd applauded her, some even begging for an encore.

"Intermission is now in session; we will be back with more stars in twenty minutes!" said the announcer. Alex crossed his arms.

"Ok guys, what should we do while we wait?" he asked the group. Felix tilted his head.

"I thought you were the expert on this concert thing," he chuckled. Iggy's face lit up.

"Hey, we could try out the…" he faltered. Dark spots began to dance in his eyes. He felt slightly dizzy.

"Try what, goof?" Sam asked him. He tried to regain his balance.

"Uh… wha?" he managed as he stumbled into Sam's arms.

"Hey, what's with you?" Sam said, with a lot less playfulness in her voice. Iggy glanced up at his sister, weakly.

"Ugh… Sam… find… Niko," Iggy fell to the ground, completely unconscious. She stared at his limp body in disbelief, hardly registering his last comment.

"I-Iggy? What's g-going on!? Iggy? IGGY!" she yelled. Felix took a knee and checked his pulse.

"He's still breathing. Alex, call an ambulance right now!" he ordered. Alex fumbled for his phone nervously, while Felix moved Iggy into a recovery position. Dani gazed at her friend, completely silent and distraught. Felix eyed Sam.

"Hey. I need you to breathe, Sam. Just stay calm, your brother is going to be fine," Felix stated, as he saw the terrified look on her face. She was still trying to comprehend Iggy's last words before he fell.

"Sam, are you okay?" Felix asked her urgently. She nodded, but the dreadful look on her face remained. Dozens of concerned Inklings had surrounded them at that point. Felix checked Iggy for head injuries. Alex disconnected the call with emergency services.

"They're on their way," he said in a somber tone.

…

Sam held onto her brother's hand. They were in a hospital room. She tapped her foot anxiously. Felix, Dani, and Alex were standing at the other end of the room. A doctor walked into the room.

"Evening, children. The patient has a visitor, and they requested that only family be present at this time. Thank you for complying, we'll get your parents on the phone shortly. Please step outside," he ordered. Sam's friends filed out the door, each giving her a pitiful look before leaving. She averted her eyes from them, as she looked down at her unconscious brother. A single tear rolled down her cheek. The doctor's comment finally registered, and she furrowed her brow. She looked back at the door.

"Visitor?" she murmured to herself.

On cue, the door opened. An inkling slightly older than Sam stepped inside, clothed in all black, with jet black tentacles. He was looking into Sam's eyes with regret. "…Hey Sammie."


	10. Chapter 10 - The Hospital

Niko and Sam stood in a hospital room, both of them staring at each other for the first time in four years. Their younger brother was bed-ridden, still completely unconscious after passing out at the Blackbelly Concert. The light beeping of Iggy's heart monitor was the only sound that could be heard, echoing throughout the room. Sam stared at her older brother with hate in her eyes. She had thought time and time again about what she would say to him if he ever showed his face again, but for some reason, she couldn't find the words. She was too shocked to say anything. Niko gazed at her with a mixture of shame and pity.

"Samantha… I know what you must be thinking right now…" Niko started, his voice raspy and weak.

"Why are you here?" Sam interrupted him coldly. She was trying hard not to have a panic attack. Niko remained calm, as he was expecting her rash behavior.

"I came to see my brother. As soon as I heard about what happened… I came here immediately," he said honestly. She just continued glaring at him. "It was on the news. I couldn't just ignore it, so here I am," he explained. Niko noticed that his younger sister was trembling. He became slightly alarmed. "Samantha? Are you alright?" he asked cautiously.

"STUPID IDIOT!" she screamed, lunging at him. Before he could react, she tackled him onto the tile floor.

"OW! That was very unnecessary!" he protested, as she pinned him to the ground. She stared daggers at the confused boy, her eyes wet with tears

"YOU ABANDONED THE FAMILY!" she growled. "YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE!" Niko was slightly hurt by her statement, but he needed to focus on calming her down first.

"Samantha, please! I'm here for Ignacio, but I'm also here because you deserve to know… what happened," he said with hesitation. Sam just ignored his excuse as she abruptly climbed off of her older brother. She turned away from him, walking back over to Iggy's bedside. Niko watched as she looked at their little brother instead, her eyes full of worry. Niko gulped, trying to find the right words.

"There's a reason that I couldn't talk all these years…" Niko started. She didn't react. In her mind, there was no excuse would justify his abandonment of the family. "Please… could you just give me a chance and hear me out?" he begged. She turned and stared at him coldly.

"Y-you can't possibly think you can throw excuses at me to get out of this. Get out of here, I… I… I hate you!" she yelled at him. She turned her back to him, with slight guilt building in her heart. Niko stared at her in disbelief. He blinked a few times, as he was in shock that their previously close relationship had fallen into such a state of turmoil.

"Samantha… I… I just wanted to see our brother… I was worried…" Niko said, his voice breaking, but he choked back his tears. He watched as she ignored him, keeping her back to him. She grabbed hold of Iggy's hand and squeezed it tightly.

 _Ugh… Sam… find… Niko_ , Sam kept repeating his words over and over again in her head. Something was telling her that him being there was no coincidence. Niko sighed heavily, as if he were preparing for a long race.

"When I first moved to Inkopolis, things were just as I had expected. Turf Wars, Splatfests, the whole deal. I know you remember I would call home every night for the first few weeks," he started. Sam didn't budge, but she was listening to every word.

"After a little while of living here, I met a girl my age… who I became friends with after we played a few turf wars together," Niko said, a slight look of uneasiness appearing on his face. "We would hang out, every day. We told each other stories, she told me about her family, I told her about you two," Niko said, and he actually smiled for a second, but it quickly faded.

"But one night… completely out of nowhere… my friend…" Niko stopped himself, as his eyes began to water. He wiped it away quickly, cursing himself under his breath for being so soft. Sam finally looked at him, slightly curious about what he had to say.

"Niko, what happened?" she asked with slight urgency. He cleared his throat and looked at her.

"One night, she knocked on my door. I was a little concerned why she was up so late, but when I opened the door, she looked… empty… like all the life had drained away from her," he murmured. Sam blinked, she turned towards him completely, though still livid with him, slightly concerned as well.

"She stared into my eyes. She told me that there were dangerous people after her, and that she needed to flee Inkopolis," he said with a gaunt look.

"Being the scared little Inkling I was, all I did was hug her goodbye. I didn't ask her any more questions, I didn't refute. But I watched her go. I watched as she left my front door in a hurry… and… after that… I never saw her again," Niko finished, with a dead stare into Sam's eyes. She was about to retort that he still could have called. But before she spoke, she froze as a tear ran down Niko's face. She had never seen him cry before, and a wave of despair washed over her, as seeing her older brother cry was something she never imagined she would witness.

"These dangerous people she spoke of… who knows, Sam?! What if they had tried to hurt our family?" he sobbed. Sam tried to process what he just said. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't find the words. "I mean, if they were after one of the kindest, noble, and innocent inklings I had ever met, then what's to stop them from hurting someone else?" he whimpered. Sam couldn't speak. She wanted to tell him he was insane, but something about his demeanor, she felt like this had really left an impact on him.

"But Niko… nobody is after us…?" she whispered. He wiped his tears away, as he was being quite hysterical.

"I know… I doubt it Samantha… I really do. But when I saw Iggy on the news… I couldn't bear to think that these 'dangerous people' had something to do with it," he said somberly, as he slowly went to his knees. Sam gave him a confused look.

"Why are you telling me this now?" she demanded.

"Because… I was too afraid to… I didn't know what to do Sam. I act like I know what I'm doing… But I don't. I really don't. If I could go back and change things, I would have. I was a fool to let her leave," he admitted. "I've been miserable for the last four years… and I bet you have been too," he finished. Sam watched as her older brother broke down. Not even she could hold a grudge at this point. Her empathy got the best of her, as she kneeled down to comfort him.

"Niko… nobody is in danger…" she sighed. "Come on… I know what happened really must feel awful… But we're fine… seriously," she assured him.

"I know… I'm being overly dramatic…" he sighed, standing up. He brushed himself off and blinked a few times. "Anyway… I've been trying to forget about it," he told her. Sam put her hand on his shoulder.

"Niko… you don't have to talk about it if it hurts. I understand what it feels like losing someone you love," she whispered. His eyes met hers, as he realized what she meant.

"Sam… I'm so sorry I put you through this," he said shamefully. "You, mother, and Ignacio. I understand why you hate me now," he said, his eyes drooping. The guilt in Sam's chest began to hurt.

"Oh… I'm so sorry Niko… I didn't mean it. I just…" she faltered. Her mind raced as she tried to explain her feelings. "I just couldn't deal with losing you… I really missed you," she admitted, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"I'll never let this happen again. I'll always be here for you," he promised. The two siblings hugged each other for a long time. After they let go, they awkwardly looked around for a few minutes.

"So… does the doc know what happened?" he asked, attempting to break the silence. Sam shrugged meekly, as she returned her attention to her younger brother.

"He's said he needed run a diagnosis. His best guess was that Iggy passed out from stress… which is quite strange to me," she told him. Niko glanced at the bedridden boy. He was purring softly in his sleep.

"I saw that you guys were at a concert?" he asked.

"Yeah… we were," she replied, not looking away from Iggy. "He seemed to be having a great time… so I have no idea what the doctor is talking about," she said with a slightly irritated expression. Niko thought about seeing his brother earlier that morning.

 _Looks like he didn't tell her,_ he thought while eying Sam. "You never know," Niko responded. He caught a glimpse of her face noticing that she looked strained. "Hey… why don't you take a quick walk through the hallways? I don't need you passing out on me too… you look flustered," he suggested with a small smile. She became self-aware of her attitude.

"Oh… okay, maybe you're right… I could use some fresh air…" she said quietly. She walked towards the door, turning to give one last look at Niko. He noticed her looking at him and they exchanged awkward looks. "Niko?" she blurted after a few seconds. "Yes?" he asked expectantly. "You're still a stupid idiot," she whispered. A small smile appeared on her face.

 _I knew you'd come through, sis,_ Niko thought to himself, relieved. She sighed to herself and walked out the door into the bright hallway.

The hospital halls were quiet, with only a few muffled beeps coming from Iggy's heart monitor in the other room. An adult inkling wearing nurse scrubs typed slowly at her keyboard behind a desk, she was the only hospital staff that Sam noticed. She exhaled sharply, wondering what to do next.

"Hey, how is he?" a familiar voice asked her. She turned to see Alex sitting on a nearby chair in the waiting room area.

"Oh, you're still here!" she exclaimed. She always cheered up when Alex was around, due to his positive and polite nature.

"Well I wasn't going to just leave you guys," he said, smiling at her. She smiled back and sat down on the chair. She sighed, as she let herself finally relax.

"Rough night," she said. Alex nodded in agreement.

"True that. At least we got to watch half of a concert," he joked. Sam chuckled. They sat together in awkward silence for a while, waiting for the doctor to return with the diagnosis. She looked around at the empty seats.

"Hey… where did Dani and Felix go?" she asked the green inkling. Alex gestured towards the nearby exit.

"Oh, the twins? They left a bit ago, they told me to tell you they were hoping for Iggy's speedy recovery, so we can continue having fun," he told her. Sam smiled at the thought.

"They're really kind people," she marveled. He nodded in agreement.

"And so are you," she said with a thoughtful glance in his eyes. He laughed at her compliment.

"Thank you, Sam. You're really kind for saying that," he said with a smile. He was unintentionally avoiding eye-contact with her. Sam realized he looked pretty exhausted.

"Hey… I feel bad for making you wait around. If you need to go get some rest, then you can," she offered. A stern expression appeared on his face.

"Nonsense. I know Iggy would wait for me, so I'm doing the same for him. I can stay a little while longer," he promised, not wanting to be rude. Sam grinned.

"Daww… you're too nice," she said, instinctively giving his arm a light punch, as if he were Iggy. She blushed in realization of her gesture. "Uh… sorry," she said quickly, wanting to face-palm herself. He chuckled.

"Sorry? For what, hitting me? Don't be ashamed, it's not like you hurt me or anything," he assured her. They both laughed, despite the recent events. Alex's smile faded. "Huh… isn't a bit inconsiderate to be laughing when your brother isn't well? Maybe it's just me… it seems wrong," he mumbled. Sam shook her head quickly.

"No, you're fine! Sometimes it's better to laugh during the hard times. It makes them less terrible," she beamed. Alex glanced at her.

"You know what? I think that's a really good point, Sam. You're a very smart girl," he complimented her. She felt giddy inside.

"Th-thanks!" she yelled a bit too loudly. The nurse from behind the desk gave the two a strange glance, before returning to her keyboard.

"I'm serious," he said with a slow nod. "It's really a good way to think," he added. He suddenly stood from his chair. "Well if you'll excuse me, I need to use the restroom," he stated.

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit," she said to him. He smiled, then walked down the hall and around the corner. Sam sighed, as she looked around at her surroundings. She looked at the small table next to her and noticed a few magazines, a dehumidifier, and a toy to keep needy children busy.

 _It's so quiet,_ she thought to herself. For the first time in Inkopolis, it was truly quiet. During the night, the sounds of the city would put her to sleep. Since the city was so populated, silence was a rarity. She began to doze off, but before she went completely under, the door from Iggy's recovery room swung open, the dark inkling stepping out. He noticed her slumping in her chair.

"Hey, Sammie… I want you to get some rest. It's not good for you to be up so late," he told her. She sneered at him.

"As if! I'm staying right here!" she protested. Niko gave a slight scowl.

"I'm being serious… I need you to get some rest. I want Iggy to have a better day tomorrow, so I want you well rested. If you're all tired you know he'll blame himself," he added.

"But…" Sam started, trying to make another excuse before yawning in defeat. Niko shook his head.

"Leave it. I'm sure he will recover by morning. Tomorrow, I'll bring him home," he promised. Sam considered his offer for a moment. She was about to agree with him, but one thing resurfaced in her mind.

"What about you?" she asked him. Niko blinked a few times and scratched the back of his head.

"Well… um… I guess I can stay… with you?" he said slowly. Sam eyed him curiously. "I mean, you're alright with that… right?" he asked, slightly more nervous. They exchanged another awkward glance.

"I guess we'll figure it out," she concluded.

"Alright, go get some rest, sis. I'll bring Iggy back in the morning. We'll have things sorted out tomorrow, okay?" he promised. She eyed him one more time, then started towards the nearby exit door. "Take the train, it's just a few blocks from here," Niko suggested.

"Alright… thanks…" she said with a weak smile. She was still in shock from his presence, but internally she was relieved that he wasn't dead or anything. Her older brother was finally back.

…

Niko watched as his younger sister walked out of the hospital doors into the night. As soon as she was gone, his expression hardened. The sound of footsteps shuffling caused him to whirl around. Standing before him was a confused Alex.

"What the hell do you think _YOU'RE_ doing here?" Niko barked, marching over to the boy.

"N-Niko please… it's not what you think," Alex begged. Niko violently grabbed hold of the boy's shoulders, and slammed him against the wall, causing him to wince.

"P-please… Niko… I still respect you… I'm n-not going to let Jack do anything… I p-promise," he choked. Niko narrowed his eyes.

"You must think I'm an idiot to ever trust _you_ ," he snarled. The nurse from behind her desk eyed the boys. She slipped on a pair of noise-canceling headphones and proceeded to type on her computer. Alex squirmed helplessly.

"Now, why are you here?" Niko demanded, his grip tightening on his shoulders. The green inkling began to hyperventilate.

"I'm a friend of Iggy. I had no idea… you two knew each other," he wheezed.

Niko gritted his teeth. "FRIEND?" he roared. "Ignacio is my brother, don't even act like you don't know that! There's no way I'll ever let you near him!" he snapped. Alex looked like he was about to cry.

"I p-promise… we aren't after him…" he muttered. "Please Niko…" he begged with the last of his strength. Niko released the boy and he pathetically fell to the ground.

"This is your last chance. You even think about hurting my family again, I will tear you to shreds," he threatened. Alex gulped and clumsily stood up. They both stared at each other for a while.

"Niko… I won't forget everything you've done," he whispered.

"Get out of my sight!" Niko yelled gesturing at his hip, where his concealed metal Splattershot was holstered. Alex backed away towards the exit, an alarmed look on his face. "Leave before I change my mind!" Niko thundered. The boy scurried out the door. Leaving Niko alone in the hallway. A few seconds later, Iggy's doctor approached him.

"The diagnosis is ready, shall we step inside?" the kind older inkling suggested, gesturing towards Iggy's room. Niko nodded, still looking at the exit, and followed the doctor inside.

…

Alex exited the hospital, sighing to himself. "Well look what we have here," a voice hissed from the shadows. Alex jumped, turning to see Jack leaning against the wall facing him. "It's your day off, and how exactly do you spend it? Befriending the enemy? What on earth do you think you're doing?" Jack demanded.

"Geez, what are you going on about now?" Alex huffed, still disoriented from being roughed up. Jack moved from the wall and approached his colleague.

"I saw you talking to that girl. Do you not realize she is Niko's _sister_?" he muttered. Alex sighed in frustration.

"Yeah… I recently was reminded of that…" he mumbled, rubbing his shoulders. Jack cursed under his breath.

"Seriously, Alex… we're running out of time! That kid is becoming a liability. Also, I'm done trying to work around mister shadow boy. It's about time we take care of him," he proclaimed. Alex didn't respond. Jack looked back at him expectantly. "You aren't going to say anything? Of course you aren't," he growled. He pinched his temples, planning out his next move. "Oh yeah, I've informed Ace about the kid," Jack told him nonchalantly. Alex glared at him incredulously.

"Damn it, Jack! You told our freaking boss that the boy is the target? What's wrong with you?! Now both of us are going to be punished when he finds out you're playing the guessing game again," Alex grumbled.

"I don't care if anyone believes me or not!" Jack scoffed. "I've done this long enough to know what I'm doing. I'm telling you, he's the one. Regardless, if we can get the boy, then we get Niko as well, which kills two birds with one stone," he retorted.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" he asked. Jack turned his back to his friend and chuckled.

"You'll see, buddy, you'll see."


	11. Chapter 11 - Assignment

"So, let me get this straight. The _both_ of you were right in the presence of the boy and you did nothing? Did you just happen to forget your purpose?!" a gruff voice bellowed. The owner of the voice was dressed in a white soldier-like uniform, and a Green Jungle hat. Two green inklings stood at attention, not daring to move a muscle, as the menacing inkling stood before them.

The three were in a room about the size of a basketball court. The walls were a dark green marble, and large marble pillars were scattered throughout the hall. It was dimly lit by white lights, and there were no windows. They were looking down shamefully, as the third one paced in front of them, giving each of them disappointed looks.

"You two should be ashamed of yourselves!" he shouted. The two of them exchanged nervous looks. "Lieutenant Kawasaki!" the gruff inkling barked. The green inkling with a Skull Bandana jumped at the sound of his name.

"Yes, General?" he responded, before clearing his throat. The General narrowed his eyes.

"Tell me exactly why you picked this boy," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," The nervous Lieutenant gulped. "I have confirmation that he is… Galiano's brother," He declared, though that last part with some disdain. The General's face contorted with anger.

"Oh _shit…_ this is much sooner than I expected," he said somberly. A noise escaped from the other inkling's throat, the one with the Sage Polo. The general glared at him.

"What troubles you, Lieutenant Boucher?" the General asked, slightly irritated. The boy in question cleared his throat.

"Nothing, General. I am in agreement with Ja- I mean… Lieutenant Kawasaki," he declared. "Though, if I may ask the question, why is his relationship with Galiano so important?" he dared to ask. The General whirled around in rage, nearly causing Lieutenant Boucher to fall backwards.

"Do you not realize what this means? Are you so dull-witted that you don't recall the danger of the Galiano family?!" the general roared in a harsh tone. He pointed at the now startled Lieutenant's chest. "You're growing soft on me, Boucher. I'm not going to be happy if your recent antics prove to be a long-term problem," the General snapped. "You better shape up soon," he ordered with distaste.

"Yes, General," he muttered, trying to hide his shame. The somewhat content General looked between the two of them.

"At ease," he ordered. The two lieutenants relaxed their postures, as they each let out a sigh of exhaustion. The General approached a large computer that lined the closest wall to the three of them. "You two take a quick break, I need to inform everybody of our situation," he suggested. Kawasaki turned away and began walking away from them. Boucher was startled that his colleague leaving so abruptly. He quickly ran after him.

"Jack, wait!" he called out. The inkling in question stopped in his tracks and turned around, giving him a puzzled look.

"What do you want?" he asked sternly. The Lieutenant averted his eyes from his friend.

"I'm sorry I didn't believe you… I don't know what to think anymore," he admitted with a shameful mien. Kawasaki eyed the General nervously, who seemed to be busy on the main computer. He looked back at his friend with sympathy.

"Don't worry about it, Alex," he said, keeping his voice low, as he didn't want the General to hear their conversation. Boucher was slightly relieved that he wasn't angry.

"It's just… I made some friends… and now I find out I'm supposed to be against them? How do I deal with that?" he asked gloomily. Kawasaki put his hand on the troubled inkling's shoulders.

"I know it's hard… but you have to realize that there's a greater threat here," he said in his best comforting voice. "It's our responsibility. Just think of it as another assignment," he suggested. Boucher met eyes with Kawasaki, and with a small smile, gave him a grateful nod.

"I'll try…" he said in a whisper.

"Lieutenant Kawasaki! Lieutenant Boucher! Front and center, play time is over!" the General's voice yelled across the room. The two hurried over to the computer where the General was seated. Listed on the larger of the few screens was a large list of names, all of which they recognized. Many of the names were grayed out, but at the bottom of the list, three names were more prominently apparent. The names were Nicolás Galiano, Samantha Galiano, and Ignacio Galiano. The first two names were solid black, while the last one was bright red. The Lieutenants exchanged nervous glances.

"Sergeant! Report!" the General barked in his rough voice. Another green inkling burst through the nearby doors, panting heavily as he sprinted towards them. Boucher raised an eyebrow, while Kawasaki snickered.

"I remember being a sergeant…" he marveled. The Sergeant stopped right near them and shakily saluted.

"Yes, General Ace?" he asked a bit too loudly. The General narrowed his eyes.

"Don't embarrass yourself, Sergeant! I'm ready to relay the assignment information to you, so listen up. I'm not going to repeat myself!" he snapped. The twitchy Sergeant fumbled in his pocket for a moment. He pulled out a tablet device and an electronic pen. As he navigated through the interface, the General clicked around on the computer. Once the Sergeant gave a nod, the General cleared his throat.

"I would like to notify ALL members that we have another high-priority mission. This is a Level Five," the General announced, as the Sergeant wrote his words down frantically. Kawasaki shuddered at the thought of the highest-level threat.

"Any members who come into contact with the following inklings must report it immediately: Nicolás Galiano, Samantha Galiano, and Ignacio Galiano. More information regarding these individuals can be found in our archives as always," the General continued. He paused for a moment, letting the Sergeant catch up with him.

"The Lieutenants will be in charge of handling the logistics. No actions are to be taken on these individuals without orders. As with all of our missions, discretion is priority. If any of these rules are broken, you are subject to excommunication," the General finished. "That's the announcement. Sergeant! I expect it to be posted to the board immediately!" he ordered. The Sergeant finished scribbling all the information down, then took a deep breath.

"Affirmative General! Is there anything you would like me to add in the notes section?" he asked. The General rose from his chair. He turned towards the Sergeant, giving him an ominous stare.

"Igneous."

…

Last night's imagery all came to back him in a blur. The sound of Sam's worried voice, concerned whispering among the crowd, the distant blaring of an emergency siren. He remembered the car ride to the hospital. Needles had pricked his arm; liquid had flown into him. He recalled the sound of the medic's voices as they rolled him on a stretcher into the bright building, all while his friends watched in horror. Iggy blinked his eyes a few times as he groggily stretched his arms. He felt a sharp tug, which caused him to yelp. He jerked his head to his arm, and noticed various wires attached to his arm.

"Careful there, buddy," a familiar voice said. Iggy glanced at the source of the voice, only to see his older brother smiling back at him.

"N-Niko?!" Iggy mumbled incredulously. Niko chuckled at his brother's loopy behavior.

"Hey there, Igg. It's good to see that you're awake," he said in a soothing voice. Iggy stopped for a second as he noticed his surroundings.

"Am I in the hospital?!" he demanded in a flustered tone. He sat up in his bed, causing Niko to frown.

"Whoa there, buddy. Stay calm. You passed out last night, no biggie," he told his distressed brother. Iggy looked him in the eyes. His memories of the previous day flooded back into his head all at once.

"Wait a minute… what are you doing here?" he asked overwhelmed with confusion. Niko's smile wavered, yet he kept a positive attitude, for Iggy's sake.

"I was worried about you, Igg. I wanted to come check on you," he said softly. Iggy's confusion was slightly eased, but his real question hadn't been answered.

"Okay… but why did you disappear yesterday?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. Niko's stomach turned, as he uncomfortably scratched the back of his head.

"Ah… that's what you mean. Well… to be honest with you, I was still a bit nervous to face our sister. I'm sure you know she's been upset with me lately," he told him. "I may act like a big-shot, but even I have fears, buddy," he admitted. A bit of sympathy formed in Iggy's heart, as he felt like he could trust what his older brother was saying. Niko was rarely ever open with his emotions, but when he did, it was usually in a time of need. Iggy's puzzled expression faded away.

"Alright, Niko. I understand… whenever you're ready," Iggy said compassionately. Niko smirked at him.

"Thanks for cutting me a break there, Igg," he whispered. "But I'm ready now," he told him. Iggy's face lightened up.

"Oh, you are? That's good to hear, I'm sure Sam will-" he stopped abruptly as his face was stricken with confusion. "Wait… where is everybody else?!" he demanded. Niko put his hand on Iggy's shoulder, giving him an amused look.

"Don't get so frustrated, buddy. Sam is waiting for you back at your place. Also, I've already talked with her, we're cool now," he told him. That last part slightly surprised Iggy, as he knew their relationship was a bit fragile due to Niko's disappearance. But he was happy nonetheless; another uncomfortable situation that he wasn't present for. He was actually pretty grateful for that.

"So… did I ruin the concert?" Iggy asked, slightly guilty. Niko shook his head.

"Are you kidding me? You're seriously worried about that? YOU PASSED OUT! Come on, dude!" he said with a laugh, as he ruffled Iggy's tentacles. "You didn't ruin anything. Doc says you were stressed out. We gotta get you a full body massage or something," he reassured him. Iggy shook his head quickly, but he smiled at his brother in response to his kindness.

"Alright, Alright. I guess that's a good excuse… but I still feel bad for my friends, they had to miss out on the fun because of me," he said, his shame returning. Niko rolled his eyes.

"There will always be more concerts to go to, Igg. Nobody cares about the damn concert. Everyone just wants to know if you're alright," he said in a sharper tone. Iggy shrugged.

"I guess…" Iggy said in a dismissive tone. The two sat in awkward silence for a moment, both of them avoiding eye contact as they waited. The doctor entered the room, startling both of the boys. His face lit up when he saw Iggy.

"Ah! It's good to see you awake, lad. I was just about to ask your brother if you'd like to be discharged," he said in a bright voice. Iggy looked at his brother and nodded eagerly. Niko smiled, then faced the doctor.

"He's ready doc."

…

Sam played with her tentacles in order to distract herself from how nervous she felt.

 _I wonder if he's alright…_ she thought to herself for the hundredth time that morning. She had gotten up early in anticipation of her brothers' arrival; she was back in her original outfit. She sat alone on the center futon in the middle of the living room, waiting. She refused to turn on the TV, she wanted to keep her mind clear. The only sound that she could hear was the ticking of the wall clock. To her own surprise, she had actually gotten a good sleep that night. Unlike most inklings, when she was stressed out, sleeping was easy for her. It allowed her to refresh in preparation of facing said stress, a recharging of batteries to be ready for any struggles she might face.

A light knock at the door made Sam jump. She nearly fell off the couch in shock. She brushed herself off in frustration. She exhaled slowly, then approached the front door. She opened it, and standing in front of her was not either of her brothers, but another friend. Alex stood at the door looking back at her, but this time, his usual polite smile was absent. Instead, a slight look of grief could be seen in his eyes. Sam noticed his behavior and was instantly was alarmed.

"Alex? What are you doing here?" she asked him. The guilt began rising in his chest. He faced her with a neutral expression.

"Hey, can we talk?" he asked quietly. Sam sighed dismissively, her mind was too focused on her brothers to question his unusual mood.

"Come on in," she offered, opening up the door for him. Alex glanced around nervously, then quickly ducked into their apartment. Sam closed the door, then wandered back over to the couch, slightly ignoring her guest. He looked at her expectantly, but she proceeded to sit back down on the futon, which faced away from him. He gulped, as he approached her. She sighed to herself, then finally looked at him.

"Alright, what do you want to talk about?" she asked him, trying her best to be polite despite her anxiety. Alex shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

"May I sit?" he asked her, pointing to the empty spot next to her on the futon. Sam nodded meekly, as the boy slowly sat beside her.

"Sam… I really enjoy hanging out with you and the others. We've only been doing this a for few days, but I already feel we've known each other for months," he said, a slight smile appearing on his face. The girl in pink tilted her head sideways, giving him an odd look.

"Um… Alex? Why are you being so cheesy?" she asked him. He chuckled a bit, but his tense demeanor returned quickly.

"Well, I have some… bad news. I won't be able to hang out all the time anymore… I'm getting really busy with work, so I might not see you guys very often…" he admitted. Sam frowned, as she finally understood why he wasn't acting himself.

"Oh…" was all she said in response. Alex nodded his head sadly.

"Yeah… I'm not saying we can't hang out every once in a while, but I just can't be around for everything… is that alright?" he asked her, anticipating her not caring. Sam instinctively punched his arm.

"Of course it's okay! I'll appreciate the times when we _do_ get to hang out. If you have more important stuff to do, then, by all means, do what you need to!" she said pumping her fist into the air. Alex laughed, completely forgetting how upset he was earlier. Sam laughed with him, proud that she successfully cheered him up.

"Wait… where do you work?" she asked him out of curiosity.

"I'm a security guard," he told her with a blank expression. Sam slowly nodded.

"Oh… that's cool… I guess," she murmured. Alex shook his head.

"Nah, you don't have to fake it. It's definitely not that interesting," he muttered.

"But at least I'll get some extra cash," he said optimistically. Sam chuckled.

"That's a good point, even though you could just play turf wars instead," she suggested.

"Meh…" he mumbled with a shrug.

"Well… when do you have to start?" she asked. Alex checked his cellphone for the time.

"In a few minutes," he said nonchalantly. Sam's jaw dropped.

"Alex! Why are you here then?! Get to work!" she ordered, slightly laughing at him. He stood from the Futon and scratched the back of his head.

"Oh yeah… maybe I should," he mumbled. Sam stood up and smiled at him.

"Go get 'em tiger!" she cheered. Alex raised an eyebrow and chuckled.

"Thanks, Sam. I'm glad you aren't upset with me," he said graciously. Together, the two walked back to the front door of the apartment.

"Don't worry Alex, we'll have plenty of time to hang out with each other. I'll be patient," she promised him. She opened the door for him with a smile.

"Alright, I'll let you know when I'm not busy. See you later," he said to her, as he walked out the door. She waved to him as he left.

"See ya."

…

Niko and Iggy entered the lobby of Greenfield Condominiums.

"Hurry up! Sam's probably wondering where we are!" Niko shouted to his little brother. Iggy hurriedly followed his brother to the elevator.

Ding.

The elevator opened up right away as they approached, and a large crowd of inklings stormed inside. Iggy squeezed in, getting caught between multiple strangers.

"Oof… Niko? Can you get in?" he asked, his voice muffled. Niko scanned the elevator, scoffing at the situation.

"Eh, I'll take the stairs. I'd like the workout anyway," he admitted. Iggy struggled to exit the elevator.

"Uh, wait… I'll come with you!" Iggy squeaked, but the elevator doors shut before he could get out. Niko chuckled to himself, then walked into the stairwell. He started up the stairs.

 _Oh yeah… It's eighteen floors…_ he thought to himself. He shrugged and continued hopping up the stairs. After he ascended a few stories, he stopped, due to him hearing somebody else coming down the stairs. An inkling in a green uniform appeared from the top of the stairwell. He noticed Niko, then scowled at him.

"Hey, you're a Galiano! STOP!" the inkling ordered. Niko stood there frozen. The boy cleared his throat.

"I am an officer of Team SAIL, and I have special orders to take you in! Place your hands where I can see them!" the officer ordered. Faster than he could comprehend, Niko darted up the stairs, grabbing his neck.

"Can you see them?" Niko hissed. The officer struggled to breathe. Niko sized up the inkling, checking his uniform's markings. "Ah… a corporal? It would be quite the accomplishment if a low-level like you brought someone like _me_ in," Niko teased coldly. The Corporal looked at him with fear in his eyes.

"H-how d-did you kn-know…" he choked out, but faltered, as Niko's grip grew tighter.

"Unfortunately for you, however, that's not going to happen. I still have some things I need to do," Niko growled. He reached for his blue metal Splattershot and aimed it at the officer's face. The inkling began shaking to break free, as tears poured from his eyes profusely.

"Wait… please… I won't tell them…" he begged, his face turning pale.

"Mhmm. I know how you people are. Do you think I was born yesterday?" he snapped. A look of terror appeared on the boy's face.

"Please… I have family…" he begged. Niko shook his head.

"So do I," he whispered. Niko pressed his finger on the trigger.


	12. Chapter 12 - Pancakes

Ding. The elevator doors opened to the hallway of floor eighteen. Iggy sighed to himself as he filed out, though with relative ease, since most of the others had gotten off at lower floors. He peered around the hallway, looking for the stairwell door, in search of his older brother. _Huh… I wonder where that door is,_ he wondered. Since he always took the elevator, he never had much use of the stairs.

"Little buddy! Over here!" called a familiar voice from the opposite side of the hall. Iggy whirled around. Niko stood at the edge of the hall waiting for him. A smile appeared on Iggy's face, as he thought about seeing all of his friends again.

Iggy jogged passed a dozen rooms to the end of the hallway. When he reached Niko, he stopped, and stared at him eagerly. Niko simply stared back, without a word. Iggy raised an eyebrow and gave a small smile. But the older of the brothers didn't react, and the younger's smile slowly faded. They stared at each other for a moment, waiting for each other to break the silence.

"Ready?" the dark inkling finally spoke, a smile appearing on his face. Iggy nodded happily, as Niko led the way to room 1884. When they reached the apartment, Niko knocked hard, and Iggy heard a faint shriek from behind the door. Seconds later, a startled looking Sam swung the door open with alarming speed.

"You scared me! You don't have to knock so hard!" she scolded Niko. The boy hardly stifled a laugh, as Sam's eyes drifted to her younger brother. Iggy caught her eyes and suddenly became nervous when he saw her reaction. Her eyes lit up, as a large grin slowly appeared on her face.

"IGGY-WIGGY! YOU'RE OKAY!" she screamed as she tackled him into the hallway.

"GAH!" Iggy protested as she hugged him tightly, them both now on the floor. Niko watched in bewilderment at Iggy desperate struggles to break free as his sister pinned him down.

"I WAS SO WORRIED ABOUT YOU!" she yelled in his face, before hugging him even tighter. Iggy winced, slightly blushing from embarrassment.

"C'mon Sam! GET OFF ME!" he begged, as he writhed in frustration. She giggled as she climbed off of him. Niko extended his hand to his little brother, as he and Sam exchanged awkward glances.

"I'm actually shocked… you're even less mature," Niko told her, with a deadpanned expression. He turned to Iggy. "I'm surprised you haven't gone insane at this point."

"Maybe not yet, but I'm pretty close," he huffed, as Niko pulled him up from the ground.

"Oh, whatever!" Sam retorted, forcing a frown. She punched Niko's arm, then poked Iggy's nose. "It's not like you two are any better!" she jeered.

Both boys rolled their eyes, as the three of them all went inside of the apartment. Iggy was happy to be back, and he breathed a sigh of relief now that he was back in the safeness of his own home. Niko on the other hand, was busy sizing up the apartment, staying silent as he did so. Sam caught a glimpse of him, and tilted her head.

"What is it, Niko? You look… disturbed," she admitted, trying to hide her genuine concern. Niko turned to her with slight confusion.

"Huh? I don't know what you mean. I'm just impressed with your guys' apartment…" he said, as he continued to look around. Sam nodded at his response, but she didn't really seem to believe him.

Iggy sat down on the futon and looked between his two siblings. _Hmmm… I missed their reunion… I wonder how the two of them are getting along,_ Iggy wondered. He noticed they weren't fighting, but their distant interactions slightly worried him.

"Wait… where do you even live?" Sam asked, as she turned towards him once again. Niko narrowed his eyes, as his annoyance was starting to build.

"Well… I lived in this very building for quite a long time… but I moved recently… though I'd rather not talk about that…" he admitted gloomily.

"…What?" Sam asked, completely puzzled by that response. "You won't even tell me where you live? What's wrong with you?" she barked.

Iggy winced. He was disheartened that his intuition was correct. They still didn't get along.

"Samantha, please!" Niko yelled. "I've already told you what I went through. Can you at least cut me a break? These are touchy subjects for me, and digging through them isn't really the best thing for my mental health right now!"

"Cut _you_ a break? What, another four-year break?!" she yelled back.

The two of them started arguing, while Iggy sat and watched, now disheartened completely. He glanced back and forth between his two siblings, trying to find a way to break into the conversation. After a few minutes, a scowl appeared on his face.

"ENOUGH!" Iggy thundered. The other two jumped in shock, as Iggy was usually shyer in these situations. He stood up, and scowled at the two of them. "Why are you two being so petty? We're family! Yes, I understand things are hard right now, but can't we just try to forget?" Iggy shouted.

Sam shook her head, as she walked away from the two of them.

"Forget? You can't just forget, Iggy. He's been gone from our lives for _four years_. And now he refuses to fully explain why," she muttered, narrowing her eyes at Niko.

"I did explain why!" he retorted. "I told you much more than I intended, that's for sure. I shouldn't need an alibi, Sam. I already apologized. I already acknowledged that I shouldn't have done what I did. But that doesn't mean I didn't have valid reasons, reasons which still hold true today," he finished.

Iggy sighed to himself, hoping that the arguing was over. He looked carefully at Sam, trying to read her expression. She appeared to be processing what he said, as well as thinking about what to say next.

"Niko, I know you've been through pain. You already know I pity what happened. But you can't use that as an excuse for all of this time. Eventually, you have to accept things and move on, dwelling will only hurt you more," Sam told him, with a slightly softer tone.

"You don't understand," he responded, shaking his head. "It's more than that. This is not a simple situation, which means there is no simple explanation," he said gloomily, looking away from the both of them as if he was afraid of his own words.

"Okay… you're right then. I don't understand. So can you try to help me understand what exactly you're talking about? What do you mean this is not a simple situation?" she demanded.

"I mean that Inkopolis is not as utopian as people say it is," Niko blurted, turning towards his sister once again. "This place… there are dangerous people here…" he said slowly, choosing his words very carefully. "This is not going to be easy to hear… but honestly… you guys should have stayed home," Niko muttered.

Iggy and Sam exchanged alarmed looks, as Niko's words began to make Iggy unsettled. Sam, on the other hand, was not as moved by his response.

"Niko…" she started, pinching her temples. "I think you're being a tad overprotective over us," she said to him. "Like, seriously. There haven't been any reported crimes in Inkopolis for years! You act like this town is crime-ridden, but it's just not the truth."

"Um… yeah," Iggy spoke up timidly. "She is right about that, I've read multiple articles about it," he added.

"I never said crime, Sam," Niko said before sighing to himself. "And you shouldn't believe everything you hear. It's not like the media is going to acknowledge wrongdoing," he argued. "And I'm overprotective of you two because I care about you. That shouldn't come off as unusual behavior," he snapped.

"That's not what's unusual, Niko. The unusual part is literally everything else," she said coldly. "And don't bother arguing further. I'm sick of bickering with you," she finished.

Iggy nodded in agreement, and looked hopingly at Niko. Niko looked between his younger siblings, and sighed to himself.

"Fine."

…

Ding. The elevator stopped on floor eighteen; the doors slid open. Two young inklings stepped into the hallway. "Hey Dani, do you think Iggy passed out because of how badly you were flirting with him?" Felix asked with a grin.

"I was not flirting with him!" she protested. "I don't even like him like that. He's just not a jerk like you, so that's why I'm nice to him. And don't joke about that, that was a serious situation."

Felix snickered. "Okay, sis. Whatever you say," he beamed.

The two of them walked down the hallway, towards their friends' room. Felix knocked a familiar beat on the door. He made a goofy face right in front of the viewing hole on the door. Dani rolled her eyes at his behavior, secretly snapping a picture of him with her smartphone.

Not long after, the door opened, but the twins jumped at this sight of Niko staring back at them blankly. They sized up his strange outfit and his shiny black tentacles.

"Who are you supposed to be?" Niko asked the two inklings.

"I could ask you the same question," Dani said with her classic smirk. "We're Iggy's friends. Sam texted us that he was discharged, so we're here to see how he's holding up."

Niko paused for a moment, then looked at Felix. He raised an eyebrow expecting the boy to say something.

"Honestly… I got nothing," Felix said with a nervous grin. "But seriously, who the heck are you?"

Niko just sighed and opened the front door for them to come inside. He ignored Felix's question and just stood there waiting. The twins eyed Niko once more before coming inside. They entered the living room, and Niko wandered to the kitchen without speaking to them. Sam was preparing breakfast as Niko stormed towards her.

"You didn't tell me we had visitors! You can't invite people over here without telling me first!" he hissed so that their guests wouldn't hear.

"Well I did, Niko. What's your problem? You can't expect to come here and expect me to follow these strange rules of yours. This is my and Iggy's home, not yours!" she replied, continuing to cook pancakes.

Niko exhaled with exaggeration, as he rubbed the sides of his head to ease his stress. He walked out of the kitchen to Iggy's bedroom door.

Iggy was laying in his bed comfortably, as he read more articles on his phone. He was happy since Sam had texted him that Dani and Felix were coming over. _I wonder how they'll get along with Niko,_ he thought suddenly. As if on cue, there was a knock on his bedroom door.

"Igg! Your friends are here! Hurry up!" Niko's voice called, muffled by the door.

Iggy eagerly jumped out of bed, and he hurried to the door. He swung it open, to see that Niko had already walked away. In the family room, his two friends were waiting for him. Felix noticed him and grinned.

"He lives!" he exclaimed. Dani noticed him as well and smirked, as the twins approached their friend, who was also returning a warm smile.

"You freaked us out there, bro," Dani said to Iggy. "I was afraid somebody might have spiked your lemonade," she added with a laugh. Her expression softened a little. "But seriously… you alright?" she asked in a more serious tone.

Iggy turned towards the girl. The concerned look in her eyes made them shimmer. Iggy awkwardly smiled at her and nodded his head, his mind a tad distracted.

"Well nice to see that you aren't dead," Felix said. "Less paperwork that way," he teased. Iggy gave him a double take, but couldn't help grinning at the joke.

"Well I'm glad to be alive too," he admitted. "…obviously," he quickly added with an awkward mien.

Felix and Dani chuckled, both of them relieved their friend was okay, not to mention his good attitude about everything. Sam entered the living room, with a platter full of pancakes. Everyone's face lit up as they all gathered around the nearby table.

"This isn't going to kill me is it?" Felix asked Iggy, gesturing towards his food. Sam gasped in offense as she scowled at the boy. Iggy chuckled nervously.

"Heh, no. Sam is actually quite a good cook. Arguably better than our mother," Iggy told the boy.

"Yeah, you better watch it, Felix, or this might be the last time a girl ever cooks for you!" she snapped, crossing her arms. She glanced at Iggy. "And thanks, buddy," she said with a proud smile.

Felix chuckled at her and sat down to eat. Without waiting for anyone else, he served a pancake on to his plate, cut a large chunk, and tasted it. The look on his face went from analytical to animalistic, as he looked between Sam and his breakfast.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN MY ENTIRE LIFE?" he yelled at Sam, stuffing his face with the pancake. Everyone in the room watched as he devoured the meal that the girl had prepared.

"Glutton…" Dani said with distaste. "But if It's really that tasty… I'm going to try some," she added with a smirk. She sat across from her brother and got herself a plate from the stack that had been placed there by Sam. Iggy couldn't stop laughing at Felix's outburst, while Sam was staring at him smugly.

"Yeah, that's right. Eat up and enjoy it, moron," she muttered happily. Sam joined the twins and sitting at the table. She also grabbed a plate, and served herself breakfast. Before she began digging in, she glanced at her brother who was the only one not seated. "Are you going join us?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Iggy replied, but something caught his attention. He noticed something in Sam's room. Upon closer inspection, Niko was standing in front of Sam's bedroom window, gazing out at downtown Inkopolis. Iggy started towards Sam's bedroom.

"Hey, where are you going?" she called after him, but he ignored her and had already wandered into her bedroom. She sat back in her chair and exhaled in annoyance. She turned towards her friends. Dani was politely waiting, while Felix was tearing through his pancakes. "Well, I don't know what's got into him… but let's eat."

…

Iggy quietly approached his older brother. Before making it a few feet into the room, the dark inkling sighed, causing Iggy to freeze in his tracks.

"This whole situation, Igg, I don't like it one bit," he whispered sadly. Iggy was a bit relieved that he didn't seem to be hostile or angry. He approached the window and gazed out the window alongside his distraught brother.

"Which situation? There's so much going on at this point," Iggy mumbled.

"Yeah…" he started. "It's the concept of having my younger siblings in the city. I knew this day would come. It just happened a bit too soon for my liking," he admitted. "Also… there are some things you deserve to know, but… I just need to find the right time…" he said, rubbing his face in stress. He eyed his younger brother with a hopeful gaze. "Do you think you can wait until a little bit longer?"

"Of course," Iggy said without much hesitation. Ideally, he'd like to have some answers to all of his questions, but the way Niko was acting, he had to give him the benefit of the doubt. "I trust you Niko. I'm sure whatever is going on will be resolved soon," Iggy said, keeping his eyes on the city.

He gazed out at the vast city taking in every detail. The downtown area went on for miles, and was much bigger than Inkopolis Plaza. Though the inhabitants that populated the downtown area were mostly adults, whereas the plaza was filled with teens and younger adults. All sorts of sea species populated the streets, inklings, jellyfish, crustaceans, urchins, even a few sharks here and there. Iggy smiled. Even though Niko had said Inkopolis wasn't as good as everyone said it was, Iggy still was fond of the city.

Suddenly, Iggy felt a shudder down his spine. In a sort of flash, the city had erupted into Chaos. Iggy watched in horror as fire spread across buildings. Citizens were screaming, mothers were protecting their children. Cars were crashing into each other, and some of the braver ones tried to put out the fire, but it was no use. Sam's room burst into flames and the fire crept towards the two of them. Iggy felt the searing heat beginning to consume him. He shook his head furiously.

He blinked and gazed back out the window, only to see that everything had returned to normal. There was no sign of the fire, of the chaos. Nothing. The bedroom was spotless, and Niko was still staring outside. _Wh-why does this keep happening?_ Iggy thought frantically. He was about to tell Niko, but he also didn't know if he'd get the wrong idea. Maybe Niko would think he's psychotic. He decided to stay silent. But the chaotic hallucination reminded him of something.

"Hey…" he started, finally breaking the silence. Niko turned to his brother and eagerly waited for what Iggy had to say. "Now that we're alone, would now be a good time to talk about this?" Iggy asked, as he pulled out his Blue Aerospray.

Niko sharply turned his head towards the door, to see if the others were watching them. They were all still enjoying their breakfast, completely oblivious to the two of them.

"Sure," Niko whispered. "That weapon is a modified version of your standard Aer-"

"Cut to the chase, Niko," Iggy said in a serious tone. "We both know I'm talking about the gray stuff."

"Alright…" he muttered reluctantly. "Now… don't freak out, Igg. This is purely for self-defense. Sam will call it paranoia, but I know there are some shady people in Inkopolis," Niko whispered. Iggy nodded, as Jack popped up in his head.

"Yeah… I've come across a few myself," he admitted.

"Good, you understand where I'm coming from then," Niko said with a confirming nod. "And of course, you're probably thinking this is a strange way of dealing with goons, but I need you to trust me, it's the best option. It's a guaranteed way that you won't get hurt," Niko said reassuringly.

"I trust you, Niko," Iggy said with a smile. His older brother looked taken aback by how quickly he had made up his mind. Iggy nodded and put his Aerospray away. "Now, I'm not saying I'm going to use it, but I'm not going to question your logic. You've lived here for four years, so my bet is that you know what you're talking about."

"That's… that's really good to hear, Igg. And believe me, I hope you don't ever have to use it either," He said with relief. "But it's always better to be safe rather than sorry."

Iggy smiled and embraced his older brother in a hug. Niko hugged back, giving Iggy a reassuring pat. They let go of each other and Iggy walked to the bedroom door.

"Breakfast will be waiting when you're ready," Iggy politely offered, then went off to join his friends. Niko turned back towards the window and gazed out once more. The warm emotion faded from his face, and he stared coldly at the city below him.

 _It's only a matter of time… all I can do now is wait. I can't tell him the truth. Never. I have to find a way to end this before I'm too late. Maybe there's no hope; I'm all alone at this point. I have to keep trying though. For his sake._

Niko turned away from the window, and walked out of Sam's bedroom, the look of both rage and terror in his eyes.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Blah Blah Blah! Such a wordy chapter this was. But I actually liked where it went in the end, I still managed to keep things interesting… at least I hope so. Yeah yeah, I'm being all vague and stuff but bear with me and let it play out! Everything is going according to plan, so I'm still content with the story. PLEASE REVIEW AND THANKS FOR READING!


	13. Chapter 13 - Bench

"Niko, eh?" Felix asked, with his mouthful of the sweet delicacy that Sam had prepared. He eyed Iggy and Sam, who were also enjoying their breakfast. "You guys never told me there was another one of ye!" he exclaimed. He looked back over at the dark inkling, who was just sizing him up with a raised eyebrow. "Not to mention his snazzy sense in style," he added with a grin.

"Yeah… I guess it slipped my mind," Sam replied, stabbing a piece of her pancake with her fork.

"Well…" Niko started, clearing his throat. "Iggy, Sam, now that I met your friends and we're done eating, how about we make our plans for the day?" he politely offered, in attempt to change the subject.

"Oh, speaking of which, Felix mentioned something about hanging out with Iggy for the day, if he was up for it," Dani chimed in. "I don't know what he's planning though, he called it 'bro time', or something stupid like that."

"Oh?" Iggy asked, a now interested expression on his face. "What is it that you wanted to do Felix?" he asked eagerly. "I didn't have any plans for the day, and we haven't gotten to hang out that much, so why not," he said with a shrug. Felix made a zipping motion across his lips, signifying that whatever he had planned, he wasn't telling.

"Okay, that sounds like a plan," Niko agreed. "You and your sister can hang out with Iggy for the day. Besides, I'd like to talk with Sam for a little while," he added, eying said girl to see her reaction. She gave him a quizzical look, but refrained from saying anything.

"NO!" Felix shouted, making everyone at the table jump in their seats. "She can't some!" He pouted, pointing at Dani. "Only Iggy and I for today! I said this is bro time, and I meant it!" he snapped with a crazed grin. Dani narrowed her eyes at her brother.

"Really? Are you seriously going to force Iggy into going on some stupid errand with you? Not cool man, not cool," Dani muttered with distaste. She suddenly turned her attention to Iggy. "What do you think about all of this? Do _you_ want to go on some adventure with this idiot?" she asked, putting him on the spot.

"Um…" he mumbled. "Actually… it kind of sounds like fun. Sure, I'll go with you, Felix," Iggy said with a smile. He caught a glimpse of Dani and his smile faded, thinking maybe that he had upset her.

"Well… you're certainly a nicer inkling than I am," she humbly admitted. "I wanted to go shopping for a new weapon anyway," she added. She stood up from her seat and glanced at Niko. "Looks like everything should go according to your plan."

"Now wait just a minute!" Sam suddenly exclaimed, glaring at her older brother.

"Sam," he quickly stopped her, before further arguing could commence. "We can talk about this once everyone is off to their activities of the day, copy?" he asked her. Sam was about to protest, but the look on Niko's face was one of urgency. With a sigh of defeat, she decided to remain silent.

"So, is everybody good to go?" Felix asked, looking at anybody for confirmation. With a small nod from Niko, Felix sprung from his seat and darted right at Iggy. The boy's eyes widened in terror, as Felix grabbed ahold of his wrist, and yanked him from his chair.

"WHOA!" he shouted, as Felix eagerly pulled away from the others. Sam shouted some inaudible insults to the boys, as they burst out the front door in a sprint.

…

The two of them darted out of the lobby and into the streets of Inkopolis. Felix had a grin on his face, while Iggy was completely disoriented, yet couldn't keep a giddy smile off of his face in anticipation of what Felix could possibly have in store.

"Felix, wait!" Iggy finally begged, pulling his arm away from the boy. Felix looked at him innocently, as if he was completely oblivious to his sporadic behavior. "What the hell are we doing?!" Iggy demanded. Felix roared with laughter, making him feel even more uneasy about the situation.

"Iggy! Dude! Don't look so freaked out man, I'm about to make your life just a little more interesting," he said with a wink.

"Um… no offense Felix… but honestly, at this point, I don't even think that's possible," Iggy mumbled, almost laughing to himself.

"Well, it's always worth a try!" Felix beamed optimistically. "Come on!"

Iggy shrugged to himself and followed his friend down the street, in the opposite direction of Inkopolis Plaza. This is the first time he could truly take in all the details of the downtown area, since last time he was there, he was being chased by hostile inklings.

"Alright Iggy, are you ready for a challenge?" Felix dared.

"Huh?" Iggy asked, while he was basically jogging to keep up with his friend. The streets were so packed with civilians that he nearly lost sight of him several times. They arrived at a street corner and waited for the traffic. Felix turned and grinned at Iggy.

"So… you probably don't remember, since you were passed out at the time, but guess who took care of ya before the Ambulance arrived?" he mused, raising an eyebrow.

"Um…" Iggy mumbled, as he actually hadn't thought about what happened after he went out. "I don't know Felix… I don't really remem-" he faltered, as a grin of realization appeared on his face. "No way…" he scoffed incredulously.

"Way," Felix whispered. Felix wrapped his arm around Iggy's shoulder, giving him a firm pat on the back. "That's right Iggy. Your best bud Felix saved the day!" he beamed with pride. The signal light turned green, and the boys walked with each other across the street.

"That's really cool!" Iggy exclaimed. Suddenly, he had a thought that made his skin go pale. "Um… Felix… you didn't give me CPR… did you?" Iggy asked nervously.

"HAHA!" Felix roared. "Dude, you say the funniest things sometimes! Nah, I didn't give you mouth to mouth, just basic safety measures to make sure you were alright," He admitted.

"Oh?" Iggy replied inquisitively.

"Yeah, it's actually something I never told you about myself. Before moving to Inkopolis, I received training on emergency medical services, it was an optional part of our schooling system," he told him. Iggy nodded with an intrigued mien, as they turned the next corner; they were headed further downtown.

"No way! I've never heard of anything like that!" Iggy exclaimed. "That actually is really interesting… who would have thought…" Iggy trailed off, slightly envious of Felix's opportunities.

They passed a few vendors who were selling cheap gear, although un-fresh. Iggy shrieked as an old woman tried to forcibly sell him a scarf. Felix scowled at a young guy trying to bargain a surfboard.

"Dang… these people sure are persistent," Iggy muttered. "Don't they understand nobody wants to buy their old gear?"

"I wouldn't be so sure," Felix replied. "Tourists crave stuff like this, same with newcomers. Find the group of people, and you can make a lot of bank," he chuckled. "Of course, it's the kind of stuff that will end up collecting dust in your closet. But they won't get the best of me, I'm not wasting my money!" he proclaimed.

"Ah! You there!" a friendly-faced inkling called out as he approached Felix. He reached behind his back and pulled out something strange on his hand. Iggy looked in disbelief to see that it was actually sock puppet. He also noticed his friend was staring at the puppet in awe.

 _Uh-oh…_

"HOW MUCH?" Felix demanded, digging his hands into his pockets. The vendor got a mischievous look in his eyes. Iggy caught a glimpse of the man's face.

"Alright sorry buddy, we're not interested!" Iggy muttered, as he firmly grabbed Felix's arm. "Have a nice day," he said with a fake smile, as he darted down the street, tugging a disoriented inkling behind him.

"Hey! What gives?!" Felix protested. "I wanted that damn puppet! Do you realize how awesome it would be to have a puppet?" he whined, slightly giggling at the thought. "I could drive Dani insane! C'mon! You know that would be fun," he mumbled, trying to get Iggy to change his mind.

"Felix…" the pink inkling groaned, facepalming in disappointment. "I think you'll be fine," he chuckled. The boy gave a pouty face, but proceeded to follow him further downtown. "Now… are you finally going to tell me where the heck we are going?" The boy didn't respond, only gave him another smile.

Iggy gulped when he noticed his surroundings. He had read articles about deep downtown Inkopolis, and it definitely wasn't a very prestigious place. The surrounding buildings were more run down, the bricks were duller, the windows were barred off. There weren't many residents walking around that part of town, and the few inklings they passed didn't seem very friendly. There were no longer any vendors, but a few homeless inklings begged for money on the sidewalk. Nonetheless, Felix still lead him further down the streets.

A chill went down Iggy's spine. He caught a glimpse of some of the surrounding inklings. They were all scowling at the two boys. Then he was hit with a realization. They were both wearing fresh, colorful clothes, walking through a dangerous area filled with poverty.

"Um… Felix…" Iggy started, as he picked up his pace. He was starting to become irritated that Felix wouldn't tell him anything. "Are you sure you know where we're going?" he asked in the nicest voice possible.

"Of course! Stop worrying Iggy, I just need you to trust me," he insisted, his voice slightly more serious than usual.

Iggy was tempted to protest. He wanted to tell Felix that this didn't make any sense and that he didn't want to keep going through the dangerous neighborhood. But Iggy's curiosity got the best of him, and he kept his mouth shut.

 _This better be good,_ he thought to himself with a glance at his friend.

They walked a few more blocks before the blue inkling finally stopped walking. He turned around with a grin.

"Here," he said with excitement.

"Uh…" Iggy said, looking at the nearby buildings. There wasn't anything special about the area, just more buildings and pedestrians passing by them. "What do you mean here? There's nothing here…" Iggy said, his heart sinking in disappointment.

"Not yet!" Felix promised. He pointed into a nearby alley. At the end of the alley, was a lone wooden bench, drenched in shadows. "This is where we'll wait!" he insisted.

"Felix… I'm sorry, but I need you to explain things to me. I know you wanted to give me a surprise, but you can't just take me to the more… dangerous parts of the city, and not expect me to be a little unnerved when you don't tell me what's going on!" Iggy huffed, folding his arms.

"Oh…" Felix mumbled, suddenly feeling slightly guilty. "Gosh… I'm sorry man… maybe I should have considered your side of things a bit more…" he said, scratching his arm. He looked to the bench down the alley, then back to his friend, who was now glaring a little softer.

"It's alright, Felix," Iggy said encouragingly, now slightly more empathetic. "I like surprises… It's just the fact that this whole situation is really unusual, don't you think?" he asked.

"Unusual?" Felix repeated. "It absolutely is unusual! Heck, it makes sense you're wondering why we're here. But I _really_ wanted to show you something. I've done this before, you don't need to worry. I've never gotten hurt. I'd never put a friend in danger, especially one I only met recently," Felix assured him, sensing Iggy's uneasiness about the neighborhood.

"Alright dude… I trust you," Iggy promised with a smile.

With his signature grin, Felix jogged into the alley, towards the wooden bench. He signaled Iggy to follow, and said boy soon did so. The alley smelled like a mix of trash and smoke. Various liquids and oils were spilled all over the concrete, and garbage bins scattered around the alley. Iggy gulped and kept walking. Felix arrived at the bench and sat down, leaving an open space for his friend. As Iggy approached the bench he stopped in realization. The unpleasant smells of downtown Inkopolis were a distant memory. Instead, he smelled oak. He inhaled deeply, breathing in the forest-like scent. A small smile appeared on his face. He turned and sat down in the empty spot.

"Felix, what is that peaceful smell?" Iggy asked, still intrigued.

"Isn't it like magic?" he whispered with glee. "It's this bench! I think it's the wood it's made out of. I have no idea why it's here, but it's where we are going to wait!" he added. Iggy leaned his head over to the armrest nearby he sniffed the armrest, but jerked his head back, his eyes watering.

"AH…" he hissed. Felix gave him a puzzled look. "It's strong!" he chuckled. "I wonder if there's an explanation for this somewhere…" he trailed off, pulling out his phone to research.

The two friends sat with each other on the bench in silence. Iggy, with his face buried in his phone, and Felix, looking around while tapping his foot. Minutes went by. Five. Fifteen. Thirty. Not a word was spoken between the two, as they waited.

Then there was a scream.

Iggy's head jerked up from his phone with a start. He looked to his friend to read his reaction, but what he saw surprised him even more. Felix was grinning with both excitement and anxiety.

"Iggy, that's our cue. Follow me and don't ask any questions!" he ordered.

"But…" Iggy's mind was racing, but Felix had started jogging out of the alley before he could process anything. He found himself running after him, adrenaline beginning to pump through his body. Felix darted out of the alley and turned the next corner. Towards the scream.

As the boys got closer to the origin, the sounds of panicked arguing became louder and clearer. Iggy nearly ran into his friend when the boy stopped before another alley.

"Felix…" Iggy panted, resting his hands on his knees. "What… the hell… are you thinking…" he muttered.

"Shhhhhh!" Felix hissed, peering into the alley while concealing the rest of his body behind the safety of the wall. Iggy peeked along with him, and a chill went down his spine when he saw what caused the scream. Through the alley were two inklings, a burly man, and a young woman.

"Get away from me, freak!" the woman yelled. She had appeared to have been shoved to the ground, as her legs were dirty and cut up from the concrete. She was pinned against the wall and the man appeared to be threatening her.

"Iggy…" Felix whispered. "On my mark, I want you to follow me. Don't let your guard down," he said softly, as he scowled at the situation in the alley.

 _What?!_ Iggy wanted to yell.

"Shut your mouth, bitch!" the man roared. He raised his arm in the air, then forcefully brought it back, slapping the woman in the face with the back of his hand.

Witnessing that, Iggy felt an angry heat inside of him. He felt himself wanting to attack the man, to forget stealth and to pull out his Aerospray and sizzle him with his gray ink. Iggy's hand slowly reached for his weapon, when Felix made his move.

"Hey!" the boy yelled, stepping into the alley. "I don't know much, but I do know that's not a way to treat a lady!" Felix mustered in his most intimidating voice possible. The man looked over and scowled at him.

"Get out of here kid, before I make you," he threatened. He turned his attention away from the woman, who had been looking at Felix in disbelief.

"Hmmm… let me think about it… nah!" Felix yelled with the smile of a madman. "IGGY NOW!" he commanded, as he leaped at the man. Catching the attacker off guard, Felix managed to shove the man back a few steps. A streak of irritation appeared on the brute's face, as he gave a death stare to the boy in blue.

"You messed with the wrong guy, squid," he seethed. Felix readied to dodge. The man swung his left fist right at Felix's head. He dodged right with a gasp, but the man had expected this, and quickly attacked with his right leg, delivering a kick right to the kid's shin.

"Ow!" he cried, falling down. Tears sprung to his eyes, as he lied there helplessly. The man stomped over to him, and raised his boot. Felix failed to get away, and the man crushed his chest with a powerful stomp. "AHHH!" Felix wailed, clutching his abdomen. Iggy watched in horror as his friend began sobbing in pain.

 _No more._

Iggy swallowed his fear completely. He mindlessly grabbed his weapon and sprinted at the man humiliating his friend. The man looked up to see a furious inkling speeding towards him. Before he could react, Iggy jumped high into the air, right at him. Iggy brought his arm down, and bashed the barrel of his weapon right into the man's jaw with as much force as he could muster. The man fell backward onto his back. He was out cold. Iggy panted to himself as he tried to process what just happened. Then he remembered his injured friend.

"Felix?!" Iggy asked with concern, as he turned to face him. Said boy was leaned upwards with a cringe, and looked right into his eyes. A grin formed on his face. He wiped his tears away, as he began applauding Iggy.

"WOOO! That was incredible! Iggy, you're a freaking legend!" He said in awe. Iggy shook his head, ignoring the compliments and praise.

"Felix… are you seriously hurt?" he asked, still completely in shock.

"Hold your horses, buddy! It's not my turn yet!" he exclaimed, pointing at something behind Iggy. He spun around. His eyes met the woman's, the original victim of the brute. She was staring at them with both confusion and grace. She looked at Felix.

"Uh… kid, are you alright?" she asked, slowly picking up her scattered belongings that the man had thrown around. Felix scoffed.

"Why is everyone worried about me?" he asked with mild annoyance. "I'm here to help you!" he said, pointing right at the woman. He struggled to stand, clearly in pain, but attempting to hide it. He reached into his pocket and brought out what looked like a red wallet. He unfolded the wallet, and inside there was gauze, ointment, pain medicine, and various first aid supplies. "Hold still," he told the victim, as he approached her with gauze.

Iggy watched his friend care for the stranger's wounds. At first, she was alarmed and quiet. But as Felix calmed her with his soothing words, she became more responsive. She explained how the man jumped her while she was on her way to the bank, how she should have done a better job concealing her money. When he was done, he asked Iggy to read the time.

"It's… noon? Already?" Felix replied with a chuckle. Well, time sure flies when you're having fun!" he said, lifting his arms into the air. "You be careful, miss," he said to the woman, as he walked back towards the street.

"You saved me, kid. Thank you!" she said to them, but Felix had already wandered away. Iggy waved awkwardly at the woman, then hurried out of the alley to catch up with his friend.

…

The two young boys walked together back towards midtown. They didn't speak to each other for ten blocks. Iggy was still having trouble processing the situation, his actions and the fact that his friend got himself injured. He also was curious why Felix sought out the danger in the first place.

"Okay… what the hell just happened?" Iggy asked, breaking the silence. Felix chuckled, while he continued trying to hide his limp.

"Alright, alright. You definitely deserve an explanation after all of that," he admitted. He took a deep breath. "Iggy, for the last week, I've come down here and sat on that bench. Every single day," Felix started.

"Really?" Iggy asked, his curiosity growing. "What for?" he demanded.

"Let me finish… completely," he asked nicely, but also sternly. Iggy nodded, and kept his mouth shut. Felix took another breath. "Only a few days after arriving in Inkopolis, I wanted to walk through the whole city, while Dani agreed that she would get our condo situated. I was really excited, as any inkling our age would be," he explained, before taking another breath.

"While I was down here, I heard the sound of a fight. Being the curious inkling I am, I followed the source of the voices, just like you and I did today," he said. He glanced at Iggy to make sure he was still paying attention. Iggy was listening intently, making Felix smile.

"When I found the source, I was shocked to see two inklings about our age brawling, but one clearly had the upper hand. The older of the two was punching, while the smaller and seemingly younger one had his arms over his face to defend himself. Now I'm no fighter… but I couldn't just stand by and watch a horrible situation like that, especially considering my training in first aid. I feel like if I'm observing a situation where I can help, then it's my responsibility to do something about it," he ranted.

"So… after the two boys saw me, the older one ran off, leaving the cowering one there staring at me. I cautiously approached him, and checked up on his bruises. He was actually pretty docile, and he told me that the one attacking him was his older brother. Though when I tried to help further, he refused, so I said goodbye… and left the alley, back home. I never told Dani… but I've come back here every day, to sit on the bench. And every day, someone needed help," Felix finished.

He fell silent after that, and they walked together in silence for a few minutes. At that point, they were well out of the shady part of downtown, and were nearing Inkopolis Plaza.

"Honestly…" Iggy mumbled. "That's really inspiring and noble of you, dude. I had no idea, I have a lot more respect for you now," he admitted.

"Aw, nonsense!" Felix shouted, his grin finally appearing on his face again. "You don't need to compliment me or any of that Jazz. I just like helping, the gratefulness of those in need is enough," he said with a chuckle, as he gave a firm pat on Iggy's back.

"So why do you do it?" Iggy asked, his curiosity resurging.

"You mean trying to help victims of violence? Well… it comes down to something very personal… but you have to promise not to tell anyone I told you," Felix replied.

"Oh… absolutely! I'm good at keeping secrets," Iggy assured him.

"Well…" Felix started, looking away from his friend. He appeared to be thinking about something unpleasant. "It has to do with Dani… she was bullied growing up…" he muttered. Iggy felt a deep burning sensation surge through his abdomen after hearing that. He would never have guessed, to him she seemed confident and care-free.

"Wow… that really sucks," he said. "It makes perfect sense to me now. Seeing someone close to you being mistreated can really have an effect on you. In all honesty, I think it was a good effect," Iggy went on.

"It does make sense now that you mention it," Felix laughed. "But remember, I never told you that. She really doesn't like talking about it, and if she chooses to keep it to herself, I want to respect that," he added.

"Of course," Iggy promised. Right on time, they had finally made it back to Inkopolis Plaza.

"What a morning we've had!" Felix exclaimed. "Man, I'm hungry… wanna grab a seat for us at the Café? he asked, turning to Iggy.

"Yeah sure, you're coming?" He asked.

"Absolutely! I'll be right in!" the blue inkling promised.

Felix watched as Iggy wandered into Inkopolis Café. As the boy disappeared into the restaurant, his smile faded away. A look of pain returned to his face, as he rubbed his chest where the brute from the alley had crushed him.

"Damn Iggy…" he mumbled to himself. "I should have been more careful, I never would have forgiven myself if you had gotten hurt…" he trailed off. He grinned to himself. "You sure are a badass though," he chuckled.

Felix inhaled, taking his mind off his injuries. He exhaled, then went through the Café doors to join his new best friend.


	14. Chapter 14 - Flashback

"Alright, Dani, have fun!" Sam said to her friend. The girls were at the front door of condo number 1884, where they were saying goodbye to each other. "Don't spend too much money, I know how tempting it can be," the pink inkling laughed.

"No worries, dude. I can always win back the money anyway. I may be pretty new around here but that doesn't mean I'm some novice. We should play sometime," she replied with a wink.

"Absolutely," Sam said with a smile.

The girls said goodbye to each other, and the older of the two shut the door. Sam stood there for a moment, sighing to herself, as she slowly drifted out of reality into her thoughts. So many strange things had happened in such a short amount of time, that she sometimes questioned if it was all real.

"Samantha."

Niko's voice pulled her out of the daze. She frowned, and her eyes met his. He was staring at her with a concerned look, it could almost be described as pitiful, but there was also a hint of guilt.

"Are you ready to talk?" he asked her politely. She scoffed, and folded her arms.

"No. I don't really enjoy our conversations," she said coldly. "They always kill my mood. Definitely not my favorite subject matters. So no, I'm not ready. But I know that won't stop you," she said, slowly stepping away from the front door.

 _This is going worse than I thought…_ Niko thought to himself, trying to think of something to say. "I know it's hard, sis. But we're the adults now… we have to deal with these things… even if they aren't the most fun things to talk about," he tried to convince her.

"Like I said," she sighed. "I know I can't stop you. If we must talk, then so be it," she mumbled, while running her hands over her long tentacles. She walked over to the black futon to take a seat.

"Alright… if you say so," he said, sitting down. "For starters… I just want you to know that no matter what, I still love you and Ignacio. As your older brother, it is my responsibility to keep you kids safe," he promised.

"Yeah… sure," she said rudely, as she slumped on the couch next to him.

"…I thought you said you didn't actually hate me," he said sadly.

"No, Niko," she interjected. "I don't. But that doesn't mean I'm not upset that you're still keeping secrets from me," she muttered, looking away from him.

"What?" he asked, as he took the spot next to her. "What secrets do you think I'm keeping from you?" he demanded.

"Like the fact that you met up with Iggy the other day, before even talking to me," she grumbled.

"…ah," was all that Niko said, but wasn't all that surprised. "Did Iggy tell you that?" he inquired.

"No. And I don't blame him for that either. You probably forced him to keep quiet, and we both know he's not the type of kid to talk about things like that," she sulked.

"Then how did you find out about that?" he demanded.

"I'm not as stupid as you think, Niko!" she snapped. "Everyone thinks I'm the dumb one. It's not easy when I'm always being compared to our genius little brother!" she yelled, with a pained expression. "Before Iggy passed out, he told me to find you. Now, what are the chances he just says that randomly? Pretty slim if you ask me. Then I remembered that he went missing for a few hours. So, I put two and two together, and boom, you just confirmed it for me," she finished.

"You're not dumb, Sammie… you're a really clever girl. I'm serious," he told her. "As for meeting with Iggy, yeah… I should have told you. But like I said before… I'm not as tough as I act. When Iggy returned home that day, I was with him, right at that door. But I panicked. I knew you'd be furious with me, so I quickly left. And based on how this conversation is going… I was right," he admitted.

"I have a right to be furious, Niko," she said. "You can make all the excuses you want, but I don't think anything can really excuse four years of ignoring your family," she said.

"Sam, I really don't understand… I thought that we set our differences aside back in the emergency room… why are you still so bitter towards me?" he asked sadly, begging her for an excuse.

"There you go again. Changing the subject so you don't have to give me an answer," she muttered while shaking her head. "Whatever," she sighed. "At this point I don't expect to get it out of you anyway," she conceded.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered. She didn't say anything back since she didn't think his apology was genuine. Niko looked at his sister for a long time, an important decision flying around in his mind. "Look…" he breathed. "I'll tell you something I should have told you sooner," he said slowly.

"Um…" she said, slightly unsettled by the phrasing of his last statement. "What?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"…Have you ever heard of an organization known as SAIL?" he asked, already knowing the answer.

She gave him a puzzled look. "SAIL? Like a boat?" she asked.

"No… I mean… yeah, like a sailboat. But they don't have anything to do with boats. It's an acronym," he told her.

"For what?" she asked.

"Believe it or not I don't know what it stands for. What I do know is that they're dangerous. Like… big time dangerous," he said somberly. She got an alert look on her face.

"Dangerous?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah… they're a corrupt organization, almost like a military. They have dozens of undercover agents, mostly kids our age. The worst part is that they are part of the government," he said angrily.

"Corrupt?" she wondered, unable to process everything being bombarded at her.

"Yeah. Their purpose is to keep Inkopolis safe from what they consider threats… but I think they use that term pretty loosely," he muttered. "They've been known to take away inklings… and they're never heard from again," he told her with a serious glare.

"Uh…" Sam said… narrowing her eyes. "What are you talking about? That sounds made up," she said.

"Samantha… I swear on my life. It is not made up," he whispered.

"Well…" she faltered, as she started to process what he was saying. She felt a sick feeling in her lower abdomen, like she was hearing something that she should not have been hearing. "Why are you telling me this then? And while I'm on it… how do you know so much?" she demanded.

"They're just rumors… but it's public knowledge that it is a real organization if you find the right sources," he replied. "The reason I'm telling you this is that I think they are the ones responsible for my friend's disappearance," he admitted.

"Your friend?" she asked, but then remembered their conversation from the hospital. "Oh… the girl you met when you first moved here… right?" she asked.

"Yeah, the part about dangerous people being after her. Ever since she disappeared, I kept thinking about those words. What if she was talking about SAIL?" he whispered.

"You… might be right…" she faltered, her heart rate beginning to increase. She tried to make sense of all the thoughts flying through her head. "Niko… don't take this the wrong way but why do you need to tell me this? Me specifically?" she asked, studying his face.

"Did you remember what I told you? In the hospital? If they took her they could take Iggy away too… or you… or anybody! I can't let my guard down when there are people like that out there!" he yelled.

"…yeah, I don't know. I just… don't know, Niko. I feel like I should say more but I really can't argue against that… but I think the odds are slim that they'll take any of us. Speaking of which, what causes them to take certain people?" she asked.

"I…" Niko started, but looked away from her eyes. "I really don't know…" he mumbled.

Sam sighed, and leaned back on the futon. The more she thought of trying to argue with Niko, the less she could focus. Even though what he was saying sounded nonsensical, she didn't completely doubt it. Iggy always rambled on about gangs in Inkopolis after reading articles on the internet. But she had a hard time believing in a government-organized military, especially one who captured seemingly random and innocent inklings. She couldn't think of anything else to say on the matter, but then she remembered something and her curiosity got the best of her.

"Your friend… what was she like?" Sam asked, eying him carefully.

"Why do you want to know?" he asked defensively, caught off guard by the sudden question.

"Oh gosh, I don't know Niko!" she growled facetiously. "Maybe because I haven't heard from my older brother in years and that I'm curious why he fell silent after this girl vanished," she said much more harshly than intended, and instantly felt guilty. "I… didn't mean it like that… I'm just curious… she sounds important to you… I don't-"

"Sammie, you're fine," he reassured with a small smile. "I understand…" he trailed off. He glanced into Sam's bedroom, looking out the window. He felt himself fading away into memories. "Her name was Annabeth," he whispered.

Two young teens. A boy and a girl. They laid together on top of a grassy hill, in Inkopolis Park. A sheet was spread out across the ground, with a basket full of healthy snacks. A picnic. The inklings laughed with each other, staring up at the clouds.

The boy had hot pink tentacles, which were lying on the grass, untied. His garnet eyes sparkled in the sunlight, as he peered over at the girl. Her tentacles were a milky blue, almost white, like the clouds they gazed upon. Her eyes sparkled the color of warm topaz.

"Who would have thought," the girl started. "That I would be laying in a park, cloud watching with Niko Galiano," she said with a teasing laugh.

"Oh please," Niko laughed. "Don't pin this one on me, you're the one who enjoys staring at clouds for hours!" he laughed. He sat up and reached for the basket. "Care for another roll?"

"Mmm… sounds good," she whispered with a smile. "Toss me one," she said. Niko obliged. They both ate their bread, enjoying the serene weather; the breeze moving the clouds along slowly. The girl smiled at the boy.

"Hey, you have to admit, some of these clouds are pretty neat looking. And besides, how else would you have spent your day off?" she challenged him.

"Well," he breathed, thinking to himself for a moment. "I probably would have invited you to some battles. I know, I know, super cliché, but let's be real, clichés aren't the worst thing in the world," he said with a pleased smirk.

"Mm-hm. Suuure," she giggled. "We both know I would completely own you anyway," she teased. Niko got a shocked smile on his face.

"How dare you!" he laughed. He suddenly had an idea. He suddenly tackled her playfully. They both roared with laughter as they tumbled down the hill.

"You… idiot!" she exclaimed with a bright smile. He gave her a mischievous look. They laid together for a moment, just cherishing the serenity.

"I love you, Annabeth," Niko whispered.

"I love you too, Niko," she replied.

The two young inklings stood up, sighing to themselves. Niko glanced over at the horizon, to see that the sun was setting. Annabeth noticed the sun and her smile faded away.

"I guess it's getting late," Niko muttered, as he took her hand. "Let's clean up, and I'll walk you home, sound good?" he offered, walking her back up the hill.

"Alright…" she mumbled sadly. "It's too bad the day went by so fast… they always go by so fast," she complained.

"Well… at least we enjoyed it, you know? These last few days haven't been so bad," he added. He began packing up the picnic. "Or is that too optimistic?" he asked with a smirk. She returned the smile, and helped him pack. They placed everything in the basket, and Niko lifted it just as the sun disappeared over the horizon.

"Not at all," she replied happily.

The two teens walked to one of the entrances of the park, and walked back into the busy streets of downtown Inkopolis. They walked towards the plaza, towards Annabeth's apartment.

"Hey there kids!" a raspy voice hissed from the shadows. Niko jumped in shock, and Annabeth darted her head towards the voice, it had come from the alley nearby. In the alley, there was a menacing looking inkling. He was pointing a dagger at them. "If ye run, I'll kill ya!" he threatened. Niko cowered behind Annabeth, slightly trembling.

"You messed with the wrong girl," she growled at the man. She marched into the alley before Niko could stop her, leaving the terrified boy alone. He averted his eyes from the two of them. He heard the man grunt, then seconds later he heard Annabeth yell, but not in pain, with valor. He heard a loud boom then the shriek of the attacker. After a few seconds of silence, he dared a peek. He saw Annabeth walking back towards him, dusting her hands off.

"A-are you okay?!" Niko demanded, snapping out of his shocked state, the guilt of being useless finally washing over him.

"I'm… I'm alright…" she told him.

"Annabeth… I'm so sorry… I should have helped…" he mumbled.

"No," she said, giving him a gracious smile. Don't worry about it Niko, I know you aren't used to this," she said, doing her best to comfort him. She sighed. "Sadly… Inkopolis isn't a safe haven. There are quite a few crazies out there, but that's what people like you and I are for, to get rid of them," she said, helping him up.

"But… I didn't do anything to help…" he sulked.

"You'll get better, I know you will," she encouraged him. "You don't have to beat yourself up. What matters is that I'm okay, and the danger has been dealt with. You can walk me home now," she said, taking his hand again.

"Okay," he said, his smile returning. They returned to the sidewalks, where they turned towards Inkopolis Plaza.

Niko blinked away his memories of good time gone by, and sighed.

"She was a kind and calm girl, yet she was brave… confident…" he told his curious sister. "She always helped me look on the bright side in tough situations… she definitely made me more of an optimistic person overall," he told her, a bittersweet smile on his face. "Of course, that's all gone now…" he added, the warmth in his voice fading away.

"But it doesn't have to be," she interjected.

"What?" he asked with a puzzled look.

"It doesn't have to be gone!" she said, turning towards him. "By the sound of it, you valued this girl and the positive changes on your personality that she introduced. Hell, you still value her. So, honor her! If she changed you for the better, don't let the change fade away. It's a part of her that you can cherish forever!" Sam exclaimed, taking his hand.

"…Thank you, Sammie," he said with a grateful smile. "Sometimes I can't tell if you despise me or still love me, you're pretty complicated," he teased.

"Hmm. Maybe I still need to make up my mind," she replied. She glanced at him, confused by his sudden change of attitude. _That was easier than I expected… almost too easy…_ she thought, trying to read his expression.

"By the way… when did you become such an emotional coach? Like seriously… you should consider becoming a therapist or something…" he laughed.

"Pffft. Have you met our little brother? He's pretty hard on himself; he's really self-conscious. So yeah, I've had a lot of practice," she told him. "And if there's anyone who needs therapy it's me for having to deal with you two boys!" she yelled with a laugh.

"Heh… yeah. Speaking of Iggy, I wonder where that kid took him…" he wondered. "Actually, who are those two anyway? I kind of just went with it earlier this morning but… seriously who are they?"

"They're our new friends. The girl is Dani, and the boy is Felix. Iggy met Dani in turf wars, and after getting to know her, we invited her to breakfast the next day, where we met Felix," she told him. She stopped for a moment. "That was only… yesterday? Wow… that's really strange to think about actually," she said in realization. "I feel like it's been a really long time. Funny how that works," she laughed, still bewildered by the thought.

"Makes sense. That's great that you and Iggy are making new friends. But back to my original question, where do you think they went?" he asked again.

"Beats me. Sometimes I wonder if that kid is completely sane, so who knows where he brought Iggy. But I bet they're having a good time," she guessed. "Oh yeah, before I forget, little Iggy is in love," she said giddily. "I can tell by the way he looks at Dani. Poor kid doesn't know what to do with himself," she laughed.

"Ha… he's already so grown up…" he trailed off, his tone of voice slightly sad. "It's a shame… I missed so much," he said, his sadness returning.

Sam looked at him with pity, but she couldn't think of anything to say. The siblings sat together on the futon, both of them silent, but adrift in their own thoughts. The silence was broken by a text message alert coming from Sam's phone. Puzzled, she took out her phone to see who was reaching out. It was Alex.

 _Hey. turns out work is slow today, so I'm not too busy. There's something I'd like to talk to you about, could you meet me in the plaza in a few?_

A small smile appeared on her face, she quickly typed yes. Niko glanced at her, now curious.

"Who was that?" he asked her.

"A friend wants to meet me, in the plaza," she said, standing up. "Are we done here?" she asked him. Niko took a minute to think. He looked at her and gave a nod. She smiled gratefully. "Okay, Niko. Thank you for having a talk with me. I guess you have your reasons for not telling me everything yet, but I'm willing to take baby steps. I'll try not to be so hard on you, sound fair?" she offered.

"Absolutely," he said in agreement. He stood up to say goodbye. "Thank you for understanding Sammie. You're still my little sis," he said, offering a hug. The siblings embraced.

"I'll see you later," she said, walking to the door. "Try not to break anything," she joked.

"Very funny. I'll see you later, Sam," he said.

They waved goodbye, and she stepped out. Niko stood still for a moment, just eying the door. He shook his head. He slowly walked about their condo, taking in more of the details. He walked into the kitchen, where the smell of breakfast still lingered. He looked over on the counter and noticed a land line telephone. He took ahold of the phone and stared at it silently. Slowly, he typed in a phone number. The dark inkling stared off into space as the phone rang. He heard someone answer the phone.

"Hello?" the voice on the other end called. Niko took a deep breath.

"…Hi, mamá. It's me… Nicolás."


	15. Chapter 15 - Changing

"Um… I'll take the chicken sandwich with extra cheese, and a pink lemonade on the side… large," Iggy said to the waiter at Inkopolis Café. He smiled and handed the server his menu.

"I'll be right back with your drinks!" the man beamed with a polite smile. He then strolled over to the bar to prepare the boys' drinks.

"Hmmm… I didn't take you as a chicken sandwich kind of guy. Shouldn't a badass like you be eating some red meat?" Felix asked with a mischievous smile.

"What does that have to do with what kind of food I eat?" Iggy asked with a slight laugh. "And don't call me that! Whatever happened back there… I don't know. It didn't feel like me. I'm actually not a fan of the whole violence thing, so let's try to forget about it," Iggy mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

"Oh, I see what's going on!" Felix said, pointing at Iggy in realization. "You're changing, Iggster. New stuff is happening that you might not be used to just yet," he said. They paused as the waiter returned with their drinks and some chips.

"What do you mean I'm changing?" Iggy asked while narrowing his eyes.

"It's simple," Felix said, taking a chip and crunching it. "Hormones," he said nonchalantly.

"Uh… are you kidding me?" Iggy asked, rubbing his forehead. "Felix, why are we talking about this?" he demanded.

"I'm serious, dude!" he chuckled. "It's probably what caused that sudden jolt of adrenaline. And don't look at it as a bad thing! Not only did you save me, but you saved that woman," he said a tad quieter, so nobody else in the Café could hear. He took a handful of chips from the basket. "You did a good thing, buddy," he assured him.

"Whatever you say," Iggy said with a shrug. He sipped on his pink lemonade and smiled a bit. The taste always reminded him of good times.

"So, speaking of hormones…" Felix started, trying to suppress his laughter. Iggy glared at his friend in frustration, not liking the particular topic. "At first, I couldn't believe it, but it's so obvious at this point…" Felix trailed off.

"Believe what?" Iggy asked, trying to hide his genuine annoyance. Felix stared at him, raising his eyebrows expectantly. "Felix… believe what?!" he demanded.

"You have the hots for my sister," he said nonchalantly. Iggy nearly choked on his beverage. He coughed and looked up at Felix in disbelief. The boys stared at each other for a moment. Felix couldn't hold back his laughter any longer, and he began cackling loudly.

"Wh-What? Stop laughing!" Iggy pouted, his skin glowing a red hue.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Felix giggled, trying to regain his composure. "Nah I'm serious dude, please don't take it the wrong way. But don't try to cover it up, it's pretty obvious," he said.

"…Really?" he asked sadly, his confidence at an all-time low. "I mean… maybe. But who cares Felix!" he pouted.

"I care, man! And so should you!" he insisted, taking a drink of his sparkling water. "Don't be so hard on yourself. Heck, I'm pretty protective of her, but so far, you seem fine," he complimented.

"…Do you think she knows?" Iggy asked with slight worry.

"Hmmm…" Felix mumbled, trailing off for a moment. He shook his head. "Eh, I can't say for sure, but she hasn't said anything to me about it," he replied.

"Does she like me back?" he said quickly, his anxiety increasing by the second.

"Uh…" Felix mumbled, his smile slightly wavering at the question. Iggy looked down in disappointment. The awkward tension hit Felix like a brick and he felt slightly guilty, "Um… hey, don't actually get worked up over this now," he said quickly. "Besides, I didn't even answer your question. Like I said before, she hasn't really said anything to me about it, but then again, why would she tell me anything? You never know," he said while shrugging his shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Felix. I shouldn't sulk and act all mopey during lunch," Iggy said, a small smile returning to his face. "I always try to look on the bright side of things. I'll try to be more patient with this, and I'm really happy that you approve of me," he said with grace. He suddenly remembered hopping on rooftops with Niko. "Besides, I have a lot on my plate already, one thing at a time," he chuckled nervously.

"That's the spirit!" Felix encouraged. The waiter returned with their food. Felix had ordered sushi, and Iggy's sandwich was still steaming hot. They both began to eat their food, and after a few moments, Iggy remembered something.

"Well… since we're on the subject, how about your crush on _my_ sister?" Iggy challenged his friend.

"Sam? I don't like Sam like that. She's a friend, plain and simple," Felix said out-front.

"Oh… huh…" Iggy mumbled, genuinely surprised. He studied his friend's expression, trying to detect a hint of dishonesty. But based on what he could tell, Felix was being honest. "I could have sworn…" Iggy trialed off.

"Why do you ask? Does she like me?" he asked before taking another swig of his sparkling water.

"I mean… I don't know. She would never tell me if she did but, that's not why I asked you. It's the way you treat her. You tease her constantly, so I guess I took it as flirting," Iggy admitted.

"Hahaha, okay now I see. Nope, not flirting. That's how I treat all my friends, I tease them. And to tell you the truth, I don't really know why I do it. It's fun I guess, as long as it doesn't get out of hand to the point where it's destructive insults," Felix told his friend with a laugh. He then ate one of his sushi rolls.

"Well, I guess that makes sen- Hey! You don't tease me!" Iggy huffed.

"HAHAHA! That's a very good point, Iggster! Nah, I said I tease all of my _friends._ I consider you my best friend, so it's different," Felix said with a grin.

"Really?" Iggy said, a warm fuzzy feeling inside of him. "But we like, just met," Iggy chuckled.

"And that shouldn't matter," Felix insisted. "I wouldn't care if we met half an hour ago. You're a good person Iggy, I like the way you handle things. And you're kind of a badass now, so there's also that," he said with a snicker.

"Thanks!" Iggy said with a grin back. "You're my best friend too. Didn't really get along with too many folks back home," Iggy admitted.

"Heh… you're telling me," Felix chuckled. "Now… let's quit yappin' and eat this deliciousness," he grinned, gesturing to their plates.

Iggy nodded happily, and the boys began digging into their lunches. Iggy was pondering the concept of having a new best friend, while Felix was thinking about giving his buddy a proposition. He watched as Iggy enjoyed his sandwich, questioning if he should say anything or not.

"Man, this is so good!" Iggy exclaimed with his mouth full. He looked at Felix to see him staring back. Iggy paused. "Um… is there something on my face?" he asked, swallowing.

"Oh… no, dude. I just wanted to suggest something to you," he said, taking another sip of his drink. "Remember Dani said she wanted to go shopping this morning? Knowing her I bet she's still at Booyah Base. If I were you, I'd try to hang out with her for the rest of the day. You two need to get to know each other better if you ever want to be more than just friends," Felix offered.

"Uh…" Iggy mumbled, slightly caught off guard. "I don't know…" he replied, scratching his arm. He debated the idea in his mind. "Do you think she'll be annoyed I interrupted her shopping spree?" he asked Felix. The blue inkling glared at Iggy and then facepalmed, causing Iggy to wince.

"Dude. She's your _friend!_ You act like she dislikes you or something. You need to have more confidence, brother!" he exclaimed with his classic grin.

"You're right…" Iggy mumbled.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Felix asked playfully.

"You're right!" Iggy yelled more vigorously.

"WOO! That's the spirit! Now get out there! Go show my sister what you're made of!" Felix beamed, pumping his fist into the air. A few bystanders eyed Felix, silently judging him.

"Okay!" Iggy yelled in response. He eyed Felix, who was still sitting. "Well, what are you going to do?" he asked. Felix shook his head.

"Never mind that!" he insisted. "I'll figure something out. What matters is that you focus on your own endeavors," he ordered.

"Alright… I'll see you later then buddy," Iggy said, placing some money for the food nearby his plate. He turned to go, but Felix suddenly stood from his chair.

"Wait! One more thing!" he insisted. Iggy turned and waited.

"What?" he asked.

"Thanks for hanging out with me today," Felix said with a genuine smile. "And I'm sorry that I put you in danger… he whispered, looking away with guilt.

"Felix, don't be sorry," he responded. "You taught me a valuable lesson. And additionally, you showed me that you really care about other people," Iggy said to him. Felix gave him a grateful smile. He returned the gesture.

"See you later, buddy."

…

As he left the restaurant, he turned towards Booyah Base. He smiled at the thought of hanging out with Dani, even though he felt nervous. But a sudden chill stopped him in his tracks.

He blinked, and in an instant, every citizen in the plaza had vanished. He was all alone. Iggy frantically looked around, but nobody was in sight. He heard a loud cracking sound, causing him to notice the sky. He looked up and gasped in horror at the sight. Black clouds were hovering low all across Inkopolis. The top of Inkopolis tower was covered by the overcast, the powerful wind pushing the clouds across the sky at an unnatural rate. Iggy flinched as lightning struck the tower with a loud crack. He realized the sound from before was the lightning. Once again, flames began moving towards him. The boy shook his head and grasped his temples.

"IT'S NOT REAL!" he screamed, closing his eyes. "IT'S NOT… REAL!" he yelled even louder. _I wanna go home…_ he thought, tears falling down his cheeks. _I wanna go home and never come back to this terrible place!_

He opened his eyes, and as he expected, the chaos was all gone. The citizens were back, the sunny sky had returned, and Iggy was standing there, completely spirit broken. He wasn't left in shock this time. At that point, he was becoming accustomed to the hallucinations.

 _Twice in one day…_ he thought with misery. _It's getting worse…_ He eyed Booyah Base, his face still stricken with misery. _What is wrong with me? This is not normal!_ He thought in frustration. He was conflicted with an important decision. To tell, or not to tell. If he opened up maybe he could find a solution or an explanation, yet at the same time, he could be ridiculed. Or even worse, diagnosed.

 _I'm not letting this ruin my day,_ he promised to himself. It was all in his head anyway, so he decided to keep it that way. He exhaled, letting all of his stress out, and marched towards the shopping center. _Just stay calm…_ he told himself. He controlled his breathing as he walked. _It's just in your head,_ he forced himself to believe. _Just stay… calm…_

"Yo! Iggy!" a familiar voice called out. It was Dani, walking out of Ammo Knights.

"AHHH!" Iggy yelped as he fell onto his butt, his concentration completely broken. Dani furrowed her brow, confused by his elaborate reaction. She approached him carefully.

"Wow," she chuckled sizing him up. The boy blinked a few times, regaining his composure. He glanced up to see Dani smirking down at him, while tapping her foot.

"GAH!" Iggy shrieked, once again shocked. Dani stared at him in bewilderment.

"What's your deal, squid?" she demanded impatiently.

"I, uh… I…" Iggy stuttered, as he tried to collect his thoughts. He quickly stood from the ground, and turned to her. Once again, he was faced with her curious gaze. His cheeks reddened a bit. "I'm sorry… what were you saying?" he asked her.

"Heh… nothing. I was wondering why you were so jumpy, but now that I think about it, that's just kind of your personality," she replied nonchalantly.

"Oh, uh… thanks?" he said, scratching the side of his neck.

"You're welcome, pal," she chuckled. She took a breath, as both kids stood there awkwardly for a moment. Iggy noticed she had a single shopping bag with her.

"Hey, whatcha got there?" Iggy asked as he pointed to it. The bag was clearly from Ammo Knights, due to its coloration and logo. He was a bit surprised she only had one bag after several hours of shopping, but he didn't bring it up.

"Wouldn't you like to know," she replied playfully. She then reached into the bag and pulled out a rather large weapon. "Say hello to my new OCTOBRUSH!" she flaunted. Iggy smiled.

"Oh, cool! Now you have both brush types," Iggy noted. She gracefully whirled it around like a baton. Then she glanced at Iggy, as a mischievous smirk appeared on her face.

"HI-YA!" she yelled as she whacked Iggy with the brush. The poor boy fell over again, but since the brush was dry all it did was knock him down.

"OOF!" he grunted, staring at her in disbelief. "Hey!" he protested. "Why did you do that?!" he demanded with a pout. She cackled at him profusely.

"HAHAHA! Oh man, I couldn't resist dude! The opportunity was perfect!" she giggled, as she slid the brush back into the shopping bag. She turned to see Iggy still sulking on the ground. "Awww, Iggy! I'm sorry dude. You look so cute when you're sad," she chuckled, offering a hand.

"C-cute?" Iggy stuttered, his conflicting emotions overwhelming him. He took hold of her hand as she pulled him off the ground.

"Heh… anyway. You're alright for real?" she asked him.

"I guess so…?" Iggy said with a shrug, still trying to understand this girl.

"Good," she responded, giving him finger guns. "Now, I was gonna ask where Felix was, but then I remembered the glutton is probably in the Café. So how about you and I do something now? Unless your bro-time isn't over or whatever," she offered.

 _Huh… that was easy…_ Iggy thought to himself. "Oh… sure! Yeah! Uh… you want to do some battles with your new weapon?" he asked. She shook her head.

"Nope, I've been turfing all morning actually. I just needed some more spare cash before I could afford the Octobrush. Any other suggestions?" she asked him.

"Um…" Iggy mumbled as he tried to think of something they could do together. _Come on Ignacio! This is your chance!_ He said to himself. He suddenly remembered something he'd read about once. "How about we go to Splattery Park?" Iggy offered.

"Splattery Park? What for, to play catch?" she teased.

"…No. I've heard it's a really cool location. It's a nice break from the hustle-bustle of the city," Iggy replied. He pulled out his phone and quickly typed away. Dani raised an eyebrow and peered over his shoulder. "See?" he said, gesturing the phone towards her. It showed multiple images depicting tall trees and grassy paths.

"Huh… it actually does look pretty neat. How far away is it?" she asked.

"It's only a few blocks uptown. Probably take about five minutes," Iggy told her. She cupped her chin for a moment. Iggy glanced at her in anticipation. Finally, her classic smirk appeared on her face.

"Aw, what the heck. I need to relax after all this turfing anyway. Let's do it dude!" she exclaimed.

"Oh… okay! Yeah!" Iggy replied with a smile. He did everything in his power to keep his composure. However, on the inside, he was freaking out. _Oh shit… If I have another nightmare in front of Dani…_ he panicked. He was so concerned about his mental state that he couldn't even stress out about his crush.

"Uh… dude? You alright? You look ill," Dani pointed out. He blinked before abruptly turned towards her.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine!" he promised. He tried giving a smile, but Dani didn't look convinced. "Are you ready?" he asked her in an attempt at changing the subject. She looked away from him.

"Yeah… I'm ready," she said. Before even waiting for Iggy, she started walking towards the city streets. Iggy furrowed his brow at her behavior and jogged after her.

They headed uptown towards Splattery Park, both of them awkwardly silent. Iggy didn't like the tension, but he was too afraid to say anything that could make things worse.

 _Ugh… this is going great,_ he sulked to himself. He glanced over at Dani, who was walking nearby him silently. _Why is she so quiet all of a sudden?_ he wondered.

"Alright come on dude! Something's obviously up! You're acting different!" she exclaimed, breaking the silence. "You're my buddy! Don't tell me that lunatic of an inkling Felix told you some stupid stuff or whatever," she muttered.

"What… no! It wasn't Felix…" he mumbled. He rubbed the sides of his temples as they continued to walk towards the park. _Should I just tell her?_ He asked himself. He glanced at her to see that she was still waiting for a response.

"Then what was it?" she demanded. Iggy sighed, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Alright… can you promise not to tell anyone? Or judge me?" he pleaded.

"I promise," she said immediately.

"Okay…" Iggy replied. He took a deep breath. "So… ever since I came to Inkopolis, the very first day, I had a… nightmare. But what was strange is that it was extremely vivid. I remember every detail," he told her.

"Hmmm… alright. What was the nightmare about?" she asked him.

"Well, Sam and I were on the train ride to Inkopolis. I think I may have dozed off, and I woke up to a loud sound. The train crashed, and I was the only survivor…" he told her. He cleared his throat. "Now before you write it off as just a common scary dream, this is where things get weird," he insisted.

"Huh?" she asked.

"Earlier this morning I was staring out the window in our condo. All of a sudden, I had another nightmare… but this time I was wide awake!" he exclaimed. "It was horrifying. In an instant, the city had erupted into flames! It felt so… real. I almost felt the heat of the fire…" he whispered. Dani was simply staring at him. "And as fast as it appeared, it vanished… Just like when you wake up from a nightmare," he said to her.

"That sounds pretty scary…" she admitted.

"It was. I was trying to ignore it, but just a few minutes ago before you found me, it happened again," he told her. He sighed, and glanced over at her. "Go ahead… call me a psycho or something," he sulked.

"Dude, you aren't a psycho. I'm no doctor, but I think you're really anxious. It's probably tied to the whole passing out thing," she guessed. Iggy's cheeks slightly reddened. "Sorry…" Dani said quickly.

"No, you're fine. That was just an embarrassing night. But anyways… anxiety? Do you think that would cause something this unordinary?" he asked her.

"Like I said, I'm no doctor," she said again. "But that's the best I can think of. I remember Sam saying you love to research stuff. I assume you've looked it up?" she asked him.

"Actually, I intentionally haven't," he responded.

"Really? Why, do you think there won't be any answers?" she asked.

"No, it's because I'm afraid of what I might find," he whispered to her. They reached one of the entrances to Splattery Park. Iggy sighed and turned to his friend. "So, what are your thoughts?" he wondered.

"My thoughts? I still think it's anxiety man. Don't quote me on that. But it makes sense. You're in a big city, you've been anticipating this day for your entire life. Big stuff, man. To be honest, I'm pretty anxious too. But if I were you, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Sure, it may seem alarming, but by the sound of it, it's probably temporary. I'm sure it won't last forever," she assured him.

"You really think so?" Iggy asked with a small feeling of hope.

"Absolutely," she responded with her smirk. "Now let's drop this moody topic and go have some fun," she cheered. She bound off through the park entrance. Iggy smiled and ran after her.


	16. Chapter 16 - Library

"Hey, you actually came!" Alex exclaimed as he noticed Sam approaching him. She chuckled but raised an eyebrow.

"Well yeah! What, did you think I'd just ignore your text? Do I really come off so shallow?" she said in a sarcastic manner. Alex chuckled as he came to greet her.

"Nah, you just seem like a busy girl," he told her honestly. They both laughed together. "Heh-heh… anyway, just wanted to talk to you for a bit…" he said in a change of tone.

"Oh, of course we can talk, man! Considering your job is going to take most of your time, I'd be flattered if you chose to spend your little free time with me," Sam replied appreciatively. Alex averted his eyes away from her and scratched his arms.

"Well… I can't say I'm not a little bit nervous," he said to her. He gulped and faced her again. "Actually… that's an understatement. I'm very nervous," he admitted. Sam tilted her head sideways.

"Huh? Why would you be nervous? You and I are cool with each other… right?" Sam asked with slight worry.

"Of course we are, Sam!" Alex replied quickly. "You're really nice to me, so our friendship is definitely not the issue," he clarified, still looking off into the distance.

"Okay that's a relief to hear," Sam said with a relieved smile. "So… what's the issue then?" she asked him.

"Well, that's where the nervousness comes in, Sam. The reason I'm so nervous is how you might respond to this particular topic," he admitted, finally looking at her again.

"Ah, I think I get it now," she said to him.

"Do you?" he asked.

"Absolutely. You want to have a discussion with me on something controversial," Sam guessed confidently.

"Well… you're close, but I think I'd choose a different word. Controversial? No… I'd say absolutely unbelievable," he said a little bit quieter.

"Unbelievable? Alex! I'm excited now, tell me!" she demanded with a giggle.

"Heh… don't get your hopes up, I meant unbelievable in a literal sense. Like you probably _will not_ believe what I'm going to tell you. Like you'll think I'm crazy," he told her. Sam placed her hands on her hips.

"Alex, my boy, this wouldn't be the first conversation I've had recently that's crazy. Try me," she said smugly.

"Well… alright. Promise you won't think I'm insane?" he asked her once more.

"You're already insane," she teased.

"Very funny, but you're probably right," he giggled. "Now, we're gonna talk, but we have to go to Inkopolis Library first," he revealed. Sam made a pouty face.

"Awww whaaat?! But the suspense is killing me!" she protested.

"Well, you're just going to have to wait… sorry…" he apologized.

"Nah, there's no need to apologize. I'm just wondering why we need to go somewhere to talk," she said to him.

"You'll see," he whispered. "Ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. Let's go."

…

"Welcome, please show me your IDs," the woman at the library's front desk said to the kids. Alex promptly slapped his card on the desk as Sam fumbled through her coat pockets. She finally found it and promptly handed it to the woman. She scanned the cards and then returned them to their owners. Alex thanked the woman as they walked into the main area of the library.

"That's weird… why do we use our Battle IDs for the Library?" Sam asked her friend.

"Oh, you use your Battle ID for everything within the borders of Inkopolis. It's a credit card, ranking system, personal identification, other stuff. It's extremely versatile," Alex responded as he led her through the foyer.

"Really? Geez… you think they'd tell you that. But what about the minority of folks that don't battle?" she asked him.

"Well, it's strongly recommended to get a Battle ID even if you don't partake in Turf Wars. Without it, you can't use public transportation, can't access public areas like the Library, so on and so forth. It's basically mandatory if you want to live in the city," he told her.

"Huh," Sam replied, slightly puzzled at the concept. She stared down at her shiny magenta card with wonder. She slipped it back into her coat pocket, and continued to follow Alex. He entered an aisle of bookshelves, and started inspecting the spines, one by one.

"Is it this one? …Nope, how about- no… no… no… not it…" he mumbled as he quickly looked through each book.

"So… you were gonna tell me the unbelievable thing once we got here right?" Sam asked him impatiently.

"Yeah… just give me one… second," he replied without moving his eyes from the bookshelf. Sam furrowed her brow at him and just continued waiting.

"What are you even looking for?!" she hissed, accidentally letting her frustration out.

"Shhhhhh, I don't want us to get kicked out of here," he chuckled, finally taking his eyes off the bookshelf. "I'm looking for a book, just wait a little- found it!" he beamed suddenly. He grabbed a large, crimson book from the shelf and dusted off the cover. "This way!" he exclaimed quietly as he hurried over to a nearby table.

"Uh, alright?" Sam said as she walked towards the table. Alex slammed the book down on the table. The book itself seemed ancient, it was worn at the seams and the crimson finish was faded. In golden letters was the title of the book.

 _Antiquorum atramento Fabulae_

"Anti… what?" Sam read aloud. "What the hell does that mean?" she asked Alex.

"It means, 'The Ancient Legends of Ink', this is what I wanted to talk to you about," he said eagerly, but with a slight hint of nervousness.

"Wait but, how can you even read that?" she wondered. She glanced back at the old book and then scowled in realization. "Wait, you just wanted to show me old storybooks?" she asked with a glare.

"Not storybooks Sam, legends," he reiterated, ignoring her brash tone.

"Okay what's the difference?" she asked. Alex remained calm and pulled out two chairs from the table.

"Sit, listen, and you'll find out," he insisted. Sam reluctantly sat in the chair, sighing in frustration. Alex opened a specific part of the book and carefully turned a few pages, as if he nearly memorized the contents. He stopped at one page and moved the book where they could both see. Sam leaned in closer to Alex to get a better look. She saw a variety of vague images and more words in the same language as the cover.

"What am I supposed to be looking at here?" she asked.

"Okay, bear with me, because like I said, you're gonna think I'm crazy. This is what's known as an Inkarnate," he told her. He looked at her expectantly. She noticed his unnatural pause.

"Okay, and?" she asked, unimpressed.

"Sorry… I'm just trying to go slow. Anyway, according to legend, these Inkarnates were one of a kind beings that possessed immense power, almost like deities. This power varied among each Inkarnate, some more powerful than others," he said with nonchalance.

"Uh…" Sam started.

"Wait, just bear with me. These beings were very unstable, and often fought with each other. Some believe that natural disasters are aftershocks of these intense fights. Anyway, after centuries of brawling, the beings perished, but their spirits were said to live on for eternity," he continued.

"Sorry to interrupt, but why is this so important for you to tell me? Yeah okay, I get it, I studied a semester of mythology and Iggy is obsessed with the stuff. But I thought you wanted to talk about something important," she said, this time without the attitude.

"Well, I'm getting to that. This isn't even the crazy part," he said, clearly unsettled. "It has to do with this right here," he said, pointing at an image on the page.

"Is that one of those Inkar… things?" she asked, somewhat curious.

"Yes, that's a depiction of the being known as Igneous," he told her.

"Igneous?" she asked.

"Right, it's the Inkarnate of fire and rage," he said.

"You are such a nerd," she muttered. She looked over the depiction, tilting her head a bit as she studied the image. The being was vague and hard for her to comprehend, but the more she looked at it the more she could make out a familiar shape. "Is it supposed to look like an inkling?" she asked him.

"Well, it's not really a definitive yes or no. The reason this depiction is so strange looking and vague is because these beings were unfathomable in terms of appearance. Apparently, their exact appearance was in the eyes of the beholder. Theoretically, everyone sees something slightly different, it's subjective," he said to her.

"Geez, how do you remember all this stuff? You might be out-nerding Iggy right now," she laughed. "Anyways, you said this has to do with the crazy part?" she asked.

"Right, so as I said before, it was believed that the spirits continued to live on for eternity. But since they were still extremely unstable, each spirit needed to contain itself within a mortal vessel, stabilizing the Inkarnate. These vessels… were usually inklings," he said nervously.

Sam stayed quiet, but was still looking at him, longing for more.

"The spirit would invest itself into a hatchling, and would remain until the host died. Then the process repeats, the spirit flees to a new vessel. That process continues to happen to this day… theoretically. But certain… issues… can arise as well. One of the side effects of hosting such a being is taking on the attributes and abilities of said Inkarnate," he said nervously.

"Alright… this sounds neat but yes, it is really strange, and no, I still don't understand why this is important for me specifically," Sam said, hardly able to keep up.

"Right, right," he said. Once again, he pointed at the page in front of them. "Taking on the abilities would obviously cause disturbance. But Igneous in particular… fire and rage… that's something that could potentially be catastrophic," he told her slowly.

"Wait… you don't actually believe any of this nonsense, do you?" she asked incredulously.

"Sam… unfortunately I do," he whispered. "Think I'm crazy?" he asked.

"Yes," she said flatly.

"Okay… just try to hear me out. This is where you come in. Remember when we were at the Hospital? Well, after you left, I got to meet your older brother. He seemed… somewhat friendly. But I couldn't shake a feeling… I haven't been able to sleep at all, because never before had I seen an inkling with black tentacles, and I know for a fact that nobody in Inkopolis sells black dye," Alex whispered.

"…what about his black tentacles?" Sam reluctantly asked. Alex gulped and took a breath.

"Never before had I seen an inkling with black tentacles… except for right here," he replied, pointing at the depiction of Igneous.

"W-what are y-you saying?!" Sam asked, feeling slightly sick to her stomach.

"I'm saying that your brother possesses a very specific trait that I've only seen in this book. It's also described as rash… violent… angry… Those attributes are those of Igneous. You would know him better than I would, so I was just curious if maybe he-"

"Alex…" she interrupted him.

"Yes?" he asked her.

"Are you sure…?" she whispered

"About what?" he asked patiently.

"Are you sure?" she repeated.

"…I'm sure," he said to her.

Sam immediately sprang from her chair and sprinted away from the table. She bolted for the exit, ignoring the librarian yelling after her.

"Sam, wait!" Alex called out, but she was already gone. He sighed in frustration, processing everything. "That was unexpected…" he said to himself. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He dialed in a number and held the phone discretely so the librarian wouldn't notice.

"…is it done?" the voice on the other end spoke. Jack Kawasaki.

"It's done," Alex whispered with reluctance.

"Heh… good work, Boucher! Seems like you're finally coming to your senses. This diversion should buy us time… but Niko will be onto us now. We must work quickly," he said with urgency.

"Have you found the boy?" Alex asked.

"I have, though I don't plan to engage. They all need to be together, give it time. We've almost won, old friend. When Ace finds out about this plan… we'll be praised for life!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah…" Alex said softly.

"Hey, don't tell me you're having second thoughts. We're saving the world from freaks! Always remember that!" Jack beamed.

"Right…" Alex replied.

"Alright, I believe it's time for me to make my move. Good luck… to the both of us."

Jack disconnected the call.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Done! I'm happy to announce I finally have a website for this story! It's really just a place where I can post art and bios of the characters. Also, if you want to send me fanart I'll post it on the website with credits if it's appropriate/relevant. If you're a true fan I suggest you check it using the following link!

bit . ly / 2DOCxuB

(Delete the spaces)


	17. Chapter 17 - Private

"I still can't believe how pretty Splattery Park is," Dani beamed, as she and Iggy wandered back into Inkopolis Plaza, their legs considerably sore from all of the walking.

"It is nice, isn't it?" Iggy replied with a smile. The two inklings strolled a small seating area by Booyah Base, both of them slightly sick of walking. "Geez… this has been a crazy day… I'm exhausted," Iggy sighed, slumping onto a nearby bench.

"Me too, we should just spend the rest of the day being lazy, how does that sound?" she offered. Iggy smiled meekly.

"That sounds awesome," Iggy said happily. Although he was slouching on an uncomfortable metal bench, he was so exhausted he could fall asleep at any moment.

Dani sat down next to him as they basked in the summer sunlight, simply enjoying the scenery. Inkopolis Plaza was bustling with inklings and jellyfish as always, people filing in and out of the battle lobby to partake in whatever ink battles they were inclined to participate in.

"It's so amazing how carefree this society is," Iggy observed.

"Oh yeah? What do you mean?" she asked him with a chuckle.

"It's just so… freeing. Like no strict parents, no ridiculous rules… people just do whatever they want. I really love that," Iggy said with a smile.

"Oh, totally. I love that about Inkopolis, it's almost like a utopia," she added.

"Yeah…" Iggy replied slowly, as something crossed his mind. Dani peered over at him and gave him a puzzled look.

"Iggy? Whatcha thinkin' about?" she asked him.

"Well, I was thinking about how the utopia and lack of rules might be nice and all, but then again, couldn't that also be a bad thing?" he asked her. Dani looked across the Plaza, thinking about his question.

"I guess that depends. Why, what are you getting at?" she asked him, returning her curious gaze to the sleepy boy.

"Think about it, Dani. Why do rules exist? To keep order. If you break some sort of rules, there are usually consequences in order to solidify in your mind not to break said rules a second time. Sure, no rules mean no consequences, but it also means no order. And what's the opposite of order?" Iggy asked rhetorically.

"…Chaos," Dani whispered chillily. "Geez, when you put it that way, it's a lot less cheery," she noted. Iggy noticed she had an uneasy look on her face, causing him to feel slightly guilty.

"Dammit, I'm sorry, Dani. I kind of ruined the moment, didn't I?" he mumbled shamefully.

"Nah, it's something to think about," she reassured him. "Besides, I like dark stuff," she said with a smirk.

"HEY LOVEBIRDS!" a voice called from across the plaza, making both of them jump. Iggy stood up and looked in the direction of the voice. He groaned internally when he realized who it was.

"Hey Felix…" he said with an annoyed look. Sure, Felix might have been the brother Iggy never had, but he tended to show up at the most inconvenient times.

"Speaking of ruining the moment…" Dani muttered so only Iggy could hear. She scowled at her grinning brother. "Could you not act like a total idiot in public? Just once? Please?!" she hissed. Felix cackled and put his arm around her shoulder.

"I love you too, sis. I'm just messing with you! You're so mean to me," he put on a fake pout. He noticed Iggy and his face lit up. "Iggy gets me, isn't that right, Iggster?" he said with a grin.

"Whatever you say, man…" Iggy replied, trying not to crack a smile at his friend's overall silly attitude. Felix bounced his eyebrows at Dani, and she just rolled her eyes.

"Well I don't know about you, but Iggy and I are going back to the condo. Maybe watch TV, check up on Sam and Iggy's brother. Are you coming or not?" she asked him.

"AWWW! YOU DO CARE ABOUT ME!" Felix marveled, embracing Dani in a big hug.

"Oh, now you made it weird. Get off!" she shouted, pushing him away. He giggled, then sighed to himself happily.

"Anyway, thanks for the offer, but I wanna stick around the Plaza a little bit longer. I'm still full of energy! I'm probably going to take a look around Booyah Base, and maybe later I'll do some turfing," he told her.

"You're always full of energy…" Dani muttered. Iggy chuckled and patted his friend's shoulder.

"Well, I hope you have lots of fun, buddy. And good luck in those Turf Wars, show 'em who's boss!" Iggy said encouragingly. Felix grinned and gave Iggy a bear hug.

"Hell yeah! Felix is the boss!" he exclaimed. The pink inkling was startled by the hug, but he was still happy that he had made such great friends in only a few days.

"Heh, I'll see you around," Iggy said to him. Dani waved a small goodbye, as she turned around with Iggy and started walking towards Greenfield Condominiums. Felix watched them go as he stood in the plaza. And after only a few seconds, they had turned the corner and vanished.

Felix sighed to himself, returning to his quieter, more serious attitude that only was present when he was alone. Why put on a show without an audience? He slipped his hand under his shirt and rubbed his chest, which was still hurting. He winced in irritation.

"I guess I'll take care of this first," he muttered to himself. He walked out of the plaza towards the nearby pharmacy, which was only a few blocks away. He tried to keep his mind of the ache by immersing himself in the sounds of the city. The passing cars, the chatter amongst countless residents, the classic beat playing from the Battle Lobby speakers. He smiled contently.

He reached the pharmacy, and without delay, walked through the automatic doors. He didn't waste much time browsing, he simply grabbed the nearest pain relief medication and checked out immediately.

"ID please," the cashier asked. Felix handed the shiny blue card to the employee, as he stared off into the distance, spacing out. He still couldn't shake the feeling that he endangered Iggy. He wanted to move on but for some reason, he couldn't forgive himself.

 _What if it was him instead of me?_ Felix thought, remembering the large boot hovering over his chest. He wanted to help people, but at the same time, his friend could have gotten hurt. He blinked a few times when the cashier held out his card to return it, snapping back to reality.

"Oh, sorry dude," he said, re-claiming his Battle ID card. He finished the transaction, and took the bottle and a receipt. He sighed to himself, and filed out of the pharmacy. He opened up the capsule, and promptly popped two of the pills into his mouth. He slipped the rest of the medication into his pocket.

"Hey man," a voice unfamiliar to Felix spoke. Puzzled, Felix turned towards the source. An inkling who appeared slightly older than him was leaning against the outer wall of the pharmacy.

"Wassup," Felix replied nonchalantly. The other boy got a gleam in his eyes and straightened himself off the wall, he took a few steps towards Felix and smiled.

"Can I just say you've got some of the freshest gear I've seen in a while," he complimented. Felix's eyes brightened up in shock that a stranger would comment on his clothing.

"Oh thanks, man!" He exclaimed, a grin slowly appearing on his face. "I have to say your clothes are pretty sharp as well," Felix beamed, returning the compliment. The other boy smiled.

"That's nice of you. Whenever I see somebody so young with a nice getup I have to pay a compliment. You must be an expert in Turf Wars," he said with a sly smile.

"Dude! You're too kind!" Felix replied. He laughed to himself a little, as he was still surprised about the situation he was in. "Oh yeah, my name's Felix by the way," he told him, offering a handshake. The older boy looked at him with eyes that shone like emeralds.

"The name's Jack. Pleasure to meet you, Felix," he said, as he accepted the gesture.

"Jack? Rad name," he replied.

"Thanks again. But anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to know why I'm out here," Jack asked, looking off into the distance.

"Oh, sure. What's up?" Felix asked, slightly confused at the question.

"Well, I've been waiting for the right person. I've seen dozens of inklings walking about, but none of them are what I'm looking for. See, I'm in need of somebody who is willing to help others, a person who is pure of heart and looking to do some good in the world," Jack replied, still looking out. Felix felt something jump inside of him.

"R-really? What for?" he demanded. Jack locked eyes with the curious boy.

"Ah, it would seem that your interest has been piqued," he said with a sly smile. "I've been looking because I'm recruiting inklings for a special opportunity. And you know, now that I get a good look at you and get a slight understanding of your personality, you could be up for the job…" Jack trailed off.

"I can't believe this is happening right now!" Felix shouted with glee, barely able to control himself. "You're recruiting? What for?" Felix demanded. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Whoa whoa whoa, hold your seahorses, kid. I can see that you're quite an ambitious inkling, but don't get ahead of yourself," he chuckled.

"Right, right," Felix agreed. "Okay, let me try again," he offered. The boy cleared his throat and took a breath. "Tell me more about this, opportunity, as you say," he said in the most professional voice he could muster.

"Well, here's the thing, Felix. In order for me to tell you anything further, I need you to make a promise," Jack said quietly, so only they could hear. "If you're really serious about helping cleanse the impurities of the world, then I can tell you. But you have to make the full promise," Jack insisted, with an assertive tone.

"I promise!" Felix shouted. Jack pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.

"Wait, I didn't even tell you the full promise yet!" he said in frustration.

"Oh, sorry…" Felix mumbled.

"You need to promise that you will dedicate yourself to working for the good of ink-kind!" Jack whispered with valor. "Also, you must keep all information regarding this opportunity, between you and me. It is confidential, and it must remain that way. That part is really important!" the green inkling uttered. Felix didn't wait for another second.

"I PROMISE!" he shouted, standing at attention and saluting with his hand. "Now tell me everything!" he demanded impatiently.

"Alright, it's only fair," Jack said, holding back a laugh. "However, you'll learn not by listening, but by seeing," He insisted. Felix's enthusiasm sank.

"Awww, whaaat? Whyyy?" he whined.

"Because! When it comes to this opportunity, the best way to be introduced is by showing, not telling," Jack told him.

"Hmmm… fine," Felix said, his grin returning. "I trust you, Jack!" he exclaimed.

"Good. Let's take a walk," Jack said, leading the way. Felix eagerly followed his new friend and potential employer.

"Where are we going?" Felix politely asked. Jack continued to walk at a considerably quick pace.

"In order for me to make sure that you're ready for this opportunity, I must test you," he insisted, as they made it across the street from the pharmacy. Jack suddenly stopped in front of one of the many subway train stations. "We'll take the metro. Are you ready?" he asked.

"The subway? Isn't that crazy expensive?" Felix asked reluctantly.

"Time is of the essence, I'm paying for your ride anyway," Jack said, as he began walking down the steps into the station. Felix hurriedly followed him.

"Jack, you don't have to pay for me, really," Felix said to him. Jack shook his head and pulled out his wallet.

"We're not negotiating. Come on," he uttered, as he slipped out his shiny green Battle ID Card. He swiped it at the turnstile and gestured Felix to walk through. "After you," he insisted. Felix sighed and walked through the turnstile. Jack swiped the card again and joined him on the other side.

"Alright, this is my first time using the trains, which way?" Felix asked. Jack gestured to another staircase.

"We'll be going downtown," he said. Felix felt the pain in his chest throb again. Without a word, he followed Jack down the staircase. He was feigning a calm attitude on the outside, but on the inside, he wasn't too excited to return downtown after what happened earlier that morning. He suddenly heard an automated intercom.

 _There is a downtown train approaching the station, please stand away from the platform edge._

Sure enough, Felix could see headlights in the distance of the tunnel, the train fast approaching on the track in front of him. In a matter of seconds, the train speeded across the platform. Both boys backed up as the train slowed to a stop in front of them. After a brief moment, the doors slid open. Jack turned to Felix.

"This is where you make your final decision," he told him, as he boarded the train. "Do you accept the test?" he asked. Felix grinned and boarded the train. Jack smiled with a gleam in his eye. "I'll take that as a yes," he whispered.

The doors closed, and both inklings took a seat to relax. The train slowly began accelerating through the tunnel, speeding downtown.

"I have so many questions, I want to ask them all at once!" Felix exclaimed.

"Well, as much as I'd like to answer them, you have to take the test first. Speaking of which, I hope you're ready. Remember how I said the opportunity we discussed is about helping people? Well, that's your initiation test. Now I don't know if you know this, but downtown Inkopolis isn't the most prestigious-"

"Hey, Jack? You don't need to convince me. I'm well aware of everything going on down there," Felix told him deadpanned. Jack raised his eyebrows.

"Oh really? Well then I'm sure you know what awaits us," he whispered ominously.

After nearly a dozen stops, Jack stood from his seat. Felix followed his action.

"Next stop is ours. Ready, kid?" the older of the two boys asked the younger.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Felix admitted. His emotions were still very conflicted. He loved how he had this one of a kind opportunity, yet at the same time, ever since he was pummeled, he wasn't as confident about returning deep downtown.

The boys headed up the steps that led to another set of turnstiles. They filed through, and that's when Felix realized how there was literally nobody else in sight. He and Jack seemed to be the only ones to get off at that station.

"That's strange… there's nobody here," Felix mumbled, his sense of uneasiness increasing every second. Jack started walking up the steps to the street.

"Don't worry, I intentionally chose one of the less popular areas. This is normal," Jack reassured him, as he waved for Felix to follow him to the street. Felix hurried up the stairs, where he was met with the familiar smell of the far downtown area, which was a mildly unpleasant smoke-like stench.

"This way," Jack ordered, as he began walking down the sidewalk at his quick pace. Felix walked alongside him, continually looking all around them to make sure there weren't any sketchy residents trying to follow them.

"Man, you walk pretty fast!" Felix laughed, as he nearly had to jog to keep up with Jack. He was attempting to have small talk to keep his mind off the threatening environment.

"Oh yeah, that's a habit of mine. But I get places quicker, and it keeps me in shape," he told the blue inkling, keeping his eyes forward.

"Fair enough. Though Isn't it tough sometimes when you're sore from turfing?" Felix asked him. Jack frowned and a cold look appeared on his face.

"Um, I don't turf that much," he admitted. "It's not something like talking about," he muttered.

"That's fine! It's cool man, I won't ask," Felix said quickly, sensing Jack's uneasiness. _Must be a sore spot…_ Felix thought to himself.

They walked a few more blocks, when Jack sneezed loudly. Felix nearly laughed at how ridiculous he sounded, but only a few seconds passed until he heard a yell. His instincts kicked in, and he began sprinting towards the distressed call. He looked over his shoulder and Jack was sprinting right alongside him. It was that moment, where Felix felt something inside of him, causing him to grin with honor. He was finally where he belonged.

"Owww! Shit!" the voice yelled. It sounded like a young man. The two of them turned the corner, and saw a male inkling looking to be in his late teens, on the ground, holding his bleeding leg. There was a skateboard nearby him.

"Sir, my name is Felix, I'm trained in first aid, would you allow me to assist you?" Felix asked, kneeling down. The man nodded as he kept clutching his leg. Felix reached for his mini first aid kit he kept with him at all times. Jack stood back and observed carefully. Felix pulled out some antiseptic wipes to clear away some blood from the wound.

"Alright, do you have any allergies?" Felix asked, as he lightly began cleaning the gash.

"N-no allergies," the man weakly responded. He flinched as Felix continued cleaning the cut.

"Alright, sir, I'm going to ask you to try and control your breathing, deep breaths. Are you on any medications?" Felix asked. The man shook his head once again.

Jack watched as Felix continued to ask a series of questions to the man. Soon, he was wrapping the victim's leg with gauze.

"Alright, now what happened?" Felix asked him.

"It was these two scumbags… they just came out of nowhere, purposely got in the way of me. I swerved, and crashed into this wall, and my leg hit this piece of glass on the ground," the man said, gesturing at a nearby broken bottle, which had some blood on it.

"What did they look like?" Felix demanded.

"Both of them looked about your age, both of them wearing a lot of green, similar outfits as your friend there," he said, gesturing to Jack. "But I don't really remember too much after that," he admitted.

"Alright," Felix replied, making a mental note of what the victim told him. "So, based on what I can tell, you're not critically bleeding, so there's no need for emergency services. Is there anyone I can call?" he offered.

"I have my phone, I'll call my girlfriend," the guy replied. He smiled lightly. "Thanks so much, kid. Here, let me tip you…" he tried to offer. Felix shook his head and put his hand up.

"No need, sir. I'm just continuing to abide by my commitment. It's my responsibility to help. No payments necessary," Felix insisted.

"Wow, what a generous kid you are. I wish more people in this world were like you," the man complimented. Felix grinned with legitimate gratitude.

"You're too kind. Are you going to be alright now?" Felix asked for closure. The man slowly stood up with only a slight wince. He picked up his board and held it at his side.

"Definitely. Thanks again, little dude," the man said. Felix bowed, then turned towards Jack. To his surprise, Jack was already walking away, and he turned the corner that they came from. Felix frowned, then hurried after him.

"Jack wait!" he yelled. The inkling turned and gazed at him. They both stood there for a moment, staring at each other. "So… did I pass the test?" Felix asked nervously.

"What's your last name?" Jack asked suddenly.

"Kobayashi, why?" Felix demanded. Then, Jack smiled slyly. He reached out his hand, offering a handshake. A grin slowly appeared on Felix's face as he took ahold of his new friend's hand.

"Welcome to Team SAIL, Private Kobayashi."

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Another chapter completed! Remember to review and check out the art website below!

bit . ly / 2DOCxuB

(Delete the spaces)


	18. Chapter 18 - Fears

Niko mindlessly surfed through the different channels on Iggy and Sam's living room TV. He was slumped over on the couch, completely disheartened. He had shut off all of the lights in order to feel more at home, it had been a little while since he had slept in his bunker in the outskirts of the plaza.

He glanced over at the landline phone that had been smashed on the kitchen floor following his conversation with his mother. She had refused to forgive him, nearly hanging up the instant he called, but not before practically disowning him. That caused him to have quite an outburst, along with draining his energy completely.

The dark inkling exhaled sharply as he continued cycling through the channels. He needed something to captivate his attention, to keep his mind from acting up. He was stressed enough as it was, but things seemed to be getting more and more hectic.

Right before he nearly gave up, he stopped on a channel that caught his eye. He quickly leaned forward when he saw what was on the screen. A girl was standing on the edge of a grassy cliff, wearing a pure white dress. It looked to be some sort of beauty commercial, but that's not what caught Niko's attention. He was staring at the dress with a sense of longing and nostalgia.

Annabeth always wore dresses just like that. Before he could stop himself, he began reminiscing.

"And here's the main lobby!" a young soothing voice spoke. A young Niko followed the source of the voice, a girl with a simple white dress. Annabeth.

"This place is massive," Niko chuckled, taking in the sight. He loved the green marble, the enormous pillars, and the overall size of the fort. He looked up and saw the ceiling, which was maybe thirty feet above them.

"Isn't it beautiful? I literally have been doing this for years, yet it still amazes me every time I see it," she said to him with serenity. She led him through a nearby corridor, giving him a full-on tour. "We have an infirmary, holding cells, weapons barracks, a lab, and my personal favorite, the training room!" she exclaimed, as she gestured to a pair of glass doors that led into what looked like a complex gymnasium.

"Impressive," Niko said, peeking into the training room. Inside, there were dozens of inklings doing various physical activities. "So, this is where you got all those skills of yours?" Niko said with a flirtatious smile.

"Mhmm! This training facility might be the best one in the entire world. No exaggerations, I swear! We'll be getting you in there soon, and before you know it, you'll be a fighting machine!" Annabeth beamed with enthusiasm. Niko smiled at the idea, taking another glance through the glass doors.

"Well if it isn't Lady Annabeth and her rookie!" a male's voice spoke. Both of them turned towards the voice to see an older boy dressed in green approaching them. Annabeth placed her hands or her hips.

"Lady Annabeth? That's real cute. But that's _Lieutenant_ to you, Sergeant," she said with disdain. The inkling chuckled to himself, then shifted his gaze to Niko.

"And who's this pinkling? Is this your rookie boyfriend I was told about?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That's correct," Annabeth replied. Niko gave a shy smile to the sergeant.

"Hello sir, I'm Private Galiano. It's a pleasure," he said offering his hand. The inkling smiled and returned a firm handshake.

"I like the respect, kid. Welcome to the Team. I have to say, you're pretty lucky you've got a Lieutenant as not only your advisor, but also as a girlfriend. I can't say I'm not jealous, Private," the sergeant said with a sly grin. Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Oh, please," she said, unimpressed. "Anyway, this is Niko's first time in the fort, so I was just giving him a little tour," she told him. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Oh, you know what? I have some people I want you to meet, Niko! Give me one moment!" she uttered, as she quickly entered the training area.

"Heh, she's quite a bold one, isn't she?" the sergeant said to Niko.

"Definitely," Niko said, as he watched her go.

"Like I said, rookie, don't take that luck for granted. She's been training here since she was only ten years old, she wasn't even fully developed yet and still was still kicking ass in the training program. She's the youngest Lieutenant we've ever had," the guy said as he gazed into the gymnasium.

"Ten years old? How is that even possible?! Or legal? You're telling me that parents are okay with such young children in this kind of environment?" Niko asked with concern.

"Heh, well that's the thing, rookie," he started. The man shifted his gaze to the curious private. "Almost every member of SAIL, are outcasts of society. Most of the time, their parents didn't even want them in the first place. We have a few orphans as well," the sergeant informed with a more somber tone.

"Oh," Niko said softly, slightly guilty for asking.

"Yeah, it's pretty depressing. But that's why I'm proud to be a part of this organization. SAIL takes these people in, gives them an opportunity in the world. Not only that, but we're also preventing catastrophe, protecting the innocent," he said with pride. Niko glanced over at the older sergeant with wonder.

"Speaking of which… is all of that stuff actually… true?" Niko asked suddenly. The operative gave him a puzzled look. Niko cleared his throat nervously. "You know, the inkarnates and all of that?" he asked. The older inkling nodded in response.

"Sure is, it's pretty insane, but that's why we exist. Those things are dangerous, if one of them happened to get out of hand…" the sergeant shuddered as he trailed off, almost afraid of his own thought.

"I can't even imagine…" Niko whispered in response.

"Anyway, I hate to leave but I need to get started on my next mission. You take care of yourself, rookie. And take care of Lady Annabeth too," he said with a smile. Niko exchanged a handshake with the sergeant, before he went on his way.

Finally, Annabeth entered the corridor, two young inklings by her side. They looked to be about twelve years old, not yet developed into their full inkling form. One was lime green, and another was a darker, forest green.

"Niko, I'd like you to meet these two squiddos. They're the top performers in the Junior League, and they'll most likely be starting as corporals when they reach the age of fourteen," Annabeth beamed with pride.

"Yo, dude!" the forest green kid greeted Niko. "I'm Jack, and this is my best friend, Alex," he said, wrapping his arm around the other kid.

"Nice to meet you, Jack, Alex. I'm the newest operative of SAIL, it's a pleasure to meet you," he said politely. Both boys smiled and Annabeth chuckled.

"Aren't they adorable? Don't let their cuteness fool you though, they've been training for a while now and they can kick some butt," she said proudly. Alex blushed at her comment.

"D-don't s-say th-that!" he stammered, embarrassed in front of the older boy. Niko chuckled and Jack grinned slyly. Alex noticed all the attention he was getting, making him even more bashful. "I don't know what she's talking about," Alex murmured, while awkwardly rubbing his arm.

"Don't sell yourself short, little buddy. I'm sure you'd destroy me in a fight. I'm… a bit of a coward anyway, so… yeah…" Niko mumbled, suddenly self-conscious about himself. Jack giggled and placed his hands on his hips.

"I doubt it's anything permanent," the young inkling said to him. He got a gleam in his emerald eyes and quickly faced Annabeth. "Oh, Lieutenant! Show him that thing, the thing you taught me!" he begged her with excitement. Alex smiled, as he knew what was about to occur.

"Oh? What might that be?" Niko asked, slightly interested. Annabeth sighed with a smile then shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, what's the harm. Let's do it. Follow me, boys," she said to the three of them, as she opened the glass doors into the training gymnasium. Niko followed them and his jaw dropped when he entered. From outside, he couldn't see how massive the room actually was. It was the size of a stadium, complete with dozens of different training exercises, such as parkour, trampolines, boxing areas and much more.

"This sure is something…" Niko said in awe. He returned his attention to the others. "So, what did you want to show me?" he asked, looking for any of them to answer.

"Everyone has a fear, it's a simple fact," Annabeth told him. "So, one of our most crucial exercises is to conquer the fear. Seems pretty straightforward, right? Well, as you can imagine, it takes a lot of patience and practice, but if you put in enough effort, you'll get a situation like this," Annabeth informed, offering Jack a chance to speak.

"Oh, that's my cue! Like she said, we all have fears. Yours seems to be confrontation, but that means that confrontation is the challenge you must overcome. And don't tell yourself it's impossible," the young boy said encouragingly. He glanced over at the parkour maze, and Niko noticed he was eyeing a large rock climbing wall that stretched higher than the rest of the course. Jack cleared his throat to speak again.

"For example, growing up I was always afraid of heights," he told the private. And before Niko could even react, Jack sprinted towards the tower. Niko's eyes widened as he watched Jack leap to the rock climbing wall. The boy grabbed on, and started pulling himself up at an alarming speed. He had no harness, he had no helmet, just pure confidence. It was only a matter of minutes until Jack had climbed to the top. He slapped the bell at the top, and what he did next made Niko gasp.

He let go.

"ALEX, NOW!" Jack shouted as he fell. The other boy wasted no time. He grabbed a rope near the base of the wall, and yanked it as hard as he could. The large mat that had previously been in the way of Jack's impact zone, had been yanked away, revealing a pit of soft foam cubes. Right on cue, Jack landed in the pit, without a scratch. Annabeth glanced smugly at Niko, who was gazing at the sight in disbelief.

"…Well I'll be damned," Niko said quietly, still in complete shock. All three of the others laughed at his reaction. Alex pulled Jack out of the pit, and the boy dusted himself off as he caught his breath.

"And that's a perfect of example of why you should hold onto hope! One day, you'll be one of the bravest inklings in Inkopolis, I swear it," Annabeth said with gleaming eyes. Niko smiled and pulled her close.

"Together, anything is possible," he whispered seductively.

He pulled her in, kissing her passionately, all while Jack and Alex were groaning in disgust.

Niko gritted his teeth and turned off the TV in angst, leaving him in the silence of the apartment. He hated thinking about the past, he convinced himself that he would never be as happy as he was four years ago, back when his life made sense. Now, he was at his worst, sulking on a couch while his family was being threatened by the very organization that he used to be a part of.

Suddenly, he heard fumbling at the front door. He jumped up from the futon, readying himself for a potential threat. Instead, he was surprised to see Sam burst through the door, her face stricken with frustration. Niko caught sight of this instantly.

"Sammie? What happened?" he asked her with concern. Sam glared at him and shook her head.

"People are stupid. They're so STUPID! UGH!" She shouted as she marched passed him with rage.

He glared at her with confusion. She was marching into her room; Niko hastily followed after her.

"Hey, what are you talking about? Tell me what's going on," Niko demanded, becoming more alert. "You're not mad at me again, are you?" he asked her, expecting a yes. Instead, Sam shook her head once again with extreme frustration.

"I already told you, Niko. People are stupid. My friend, if I can even call him that anymore, is a complete nut. A crazy idiot. Which is unfair because I was actually starting to get used to him," she huffed, as she slumped onto her bed. Her older brother simply narrowed his eyes at her.

"Care to elaborate a little bit more?" Niko asked her, slowly sitting on the bed beside her. She waved her hand at him dismissively.

"No, no, no! It's not something you and I need to discuss, really. It's just stupidity, and I'd rather not talk about it, or else I might explode," she said to him honestly, as she rubbed her temples. Niko thought about her answer for a moment, making his decision on if he should try pressing her for more information. He exhaled slowly.

"Alright, Sammie. If it's something not worth speaking about, then I trust your judgment. Would you like to talk about something else?" he offered, trying to keep a positive attitude, despite his deteriorating mental state.

"Well," she started, trying to push her situation with Alex out of her mind. "I guess that would be a reasonable idea," she said, thinking of a potential topic.

"I agree," Niko said, forcing a smile. He stood from the bed and faced her. "Hey, you want to make some snacks to keep your mind off of the stupidity?" he asked her. A small hint of a smile appeared on her face.

"Sure," she agreed, joining him in standing. Together, they went from Sam's room to the kitchen. Both of them stopped short when they saw the landline that had been smashed on the floor. Niko's heart sank. He had forgotten to clean up.

"Hey, what happened here?!" Sam demanded, glaring at Niko. He rubbed his forehead and groaned, avoiding her sharp gaze.

"I might have… lost my temper…" Niko said, slightly embarrassed, but also afraid of her knowing why he did it.

"What?! An eighteen-year-old boy just has a temper tantrum and breaks other people's things? What kind of explanation is that?" Sam muttered, as she began picking up the broken parts of the phone. Niko leaned down to help. "I'm expecting you to tell me why you did it?" she said to him.

"I'm just really stressed out, alright?!" he snapped, trying not to tell her about the truth.

"That's not an excuse!" she retorted. "Normal people aren't that angry…" she faltered. She was about to argue with him more, but she remembered Alex's words.

 _It's also described as rash… violent… angry…_

She glanced at her brother, watching him pick up the pieces. But she became self-aware of her thoughts, and shook herself, scolding herself for even considering such things.

"Please, Sammie. I listened to you when you said you didn't want to talk about what happened with you, so wouldn't it be fair if we didn't discuss this situation as well?" he challenged her. She exhaled sharply, and discarded a handful of broken parts into the trash.

"I guess you have a point there…" she mumbled, reaching down to collect more scraps, but Niko put his hand up to stop her.

"I'll clean up my mess, you go ahead and start making the snacks," he suggested. Sam nodded, expressionless, before walking to the fridge where she began preparing a snack.

For a while, Niko silently cleaned up the remaining broken parts of the phone, while Sam worked without a word at the kitchen counter. In silence, Niko's mind began to drift away, and the fond memories began resurfacing again. He suddenly had an idea.

"Sammie… can I ask you a personal question?" he asked, breaking the silence. She had been slicing cheese in order to prepare some mozzarella sticks, but Niko's words caused her to look up with a curious mien.

"I don't like the sound of that. But ask away," she said to him.

"I wanted to ask you, what are you afraid of most?" he blurted. Sam simply looked at him incredulously and stopped what she was doing.

"Why are you asking me that?" she demanded.

"I know, it's a weird question. But I'm genuinely curious. Growing up, I know you hated the dark. But I'm talking about something that's more personal. Heck, I'll even tell you mine, I don't like confrontation, the thought of a physical conflict used to make me paralyzed with fear. But over time, I've conquered that fear, flipped it on its head, turning it into a strength," he told her. Sam stared at him, surprised that he was so open with her.

"Niko… I…" she mumbled, struggling to find words. "I guess I never thought about it, but… to be honest, I would say it's growing up… my childhood being over," she admitted to him, returning her attention to preparing the food.

Niko took a moment to process what she said, realizing the irony of what he always knew about fear. For the entirety of his adolescence, he was convinced that fear could be conquered, but growing up is not something that can be prevented.

"Well, that goes without saying. That, in particular, isn't something that can be transformed into a strength, it's an unchangeable aspect of life…" Niko said somberly. His expression hardened again, finding a sense of determination to help his sister. He stood from the floor and faced her. "But that doesn't mean there's not a solution," Niko said boldly.

"Solution?" Sam asked, as she tossed the cheese with breadcrumbs.

"Yes, a solution. Maybe instead of facing the fear, you come to terms with it. Instead of dreading the concept of growing up, you can make the most of it," he uttered. Sam froze when she heard his inspirational words. Niko stepped closer to her.

"Sammie, now that I'm back, I'm going to make a new commitment. I'm going to make sure that you and Iggy make the most out of your youth in Inkopolis. Because when it comes down to it, that's all we can really do," Niko finished. Sam couldn't help but smile at the idea.

"You really mean that?" she whispered, her conversation with Alex in the library now completely buried in the back of her mind.

"Of course. If I haven't said it enough, I'm guilty for the time that us siblings lost together. I owe you two kids, and it's about time that I start being an older brother again," he responded with, with the first legitimate smile in a long time.

"That's… really thoughtful," Sam said to him. She dumped the breaded cheese sticks into her preheated oil pan. She walked away from the counter, towards her older brother. They stared at each other, and just for one moment, both of them forgot all of the hardships they were dealing with.

"Thank you, Niko. Thank you for helping me face my fear, even if it seems impossible," she whispered. He remembered the words he spoke many years ago.

"Together, anything is possible," he promised her. The siblings embraced in a hug, Sam's mind in complete serenity, while Niko was deep in thought with the safety of his family in the near future.

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Two chapters in like two days? I'm proud of myself! But don't get used to it. Remember to review and check out the art website below!

bit . ly / 2DOCxuB

(Delete the spaces)


	19. Chapter 19 - Carnival

"Hey, we're home!" Iggy announced as he and Dani entered the apartment. Dani walked right over to the futon, and promptly flopped onto it, with a relaxed sigh. Iggy chuckled at the sight, and he felt an urge to join her. Niko walked out of the kitchen, noticing both of them.

"Oh, welcome home, Iggy," he said with a smile. He noticed Dani on the couch, and the two of them exchanged glances. Dani gave him a peace sign and then buried her face back into the futon.

"Hey, Niko! How was your day?" he asked, making his way to towards the futon.

"Meh… I can't really narrow it down at this point," he admitted. Sam entered the living room, with a platter full of fried mozzarella sticks.

"Hey, Iggy-Wiggy! I made your favorite snack!" She walked over to the small table in front of the futon and set down the platter, with over a dozen cheese sticks and various homemade sauces. She giggled at the nearly passed out Dani, but her smile faded, and she proceeded to look back at Iggy.

"What's wrong?" Iggy asked, sensing her confusion.

"Where's Felix?" she asked.

"Oh, I think he'll be back later. He said he wanted to spend some time shopping and turfing," Iggy told her.

"Oh, alright," Sam said. She glanced at Niko. "Hey, are you hungry?" she asked him, offering him a seat on one of the nearby chairs. Niko nodded, sitting in the chair. Iggy joined Dani on the couch, and they all began eating their snacks. They all smiled when they tasted the savory cheese.

"Damn, Sam! I need you as my personal chef! Once again, great job on the food!" Dani complimented, as she enjoyed her snack. Sam smiled proudly.

"Thanks, girl!" Sam beamed, taking a cheese stick from the platter. She loudly cleared her throat, causing the others to look in her direction. "All in favor of being lazy for the rest of the day?" she offered, biting into her cheese stick.

"Yay!" Iggy shouted.

"Yay!" Dani exclaimed.

"Nay," Niko interjected. Everyone in the room glared at him incredulously. He innocently looked around the room. "What? I had something else in mind. Something fun," he protested. Sam raised an eyebrow, her interest piqued.

"Well, I guess I could use some fun these days…" Sam admitted. "What did you have in mind?" she asked him. Niko smirked.

"You're telling me you've ever heard of it? What goes on every year at the beginning of the summer? It's practically one of the most famous celebrations, especially now that Splatfests aren't going on," Niko told all of them. That last part got Iggy's attention, and he leaned forward.

"A celebration? What is it, what is it?!" he demanded. Niko leaned back in his chair.

"The Inkopolis Summer Carnival. It's a festival that they set up the first Saturday of the Summer, nearly everyone our age attends. It's mainly a kickoff to the ink battling season and gets everyone in the mood for turf wars and such," Niko explained. "As you know, today is the first Saturday," he said with a sly grin. Even Dani, who was completely exhausted before, grinned at the thought of such an event.

"Oh yeah! Now that you mention it, I do remember seeing flyers and ads for it. Even the promotional stuff was mind-blowing! I can't imagine how awesome it would be actually being there!" she exclaimed. She stood from the futon, now completely re-invigorated with energy, and turned to Sam. "I've changed my mind, I vote that we go to the Carnival!" she beamed with excitement. Iggy laughed at her enthusiasm and nodded his head.

"Yeah! I want to go to!" he told his sister. Niko glanced at Sam to see her reaction.

"Well, if everyone else is up for it, why not? Besides, I've been itching to do something actually fun all day," she admitted, with a slight glance at her older brother. She smiled as she made her decision. "I'm in!" she cheered happily.

"It's official then!" Niko announced, glancing over at the wall clock to check the time. "The Carnival opens in about two hours, so we can hang out here for a little while. This year it'll be at Camp Triggerfish," he told them.

"Sounds good!" Iggy said with a smile. He sighed contently, leaning his head back on the futon. _This is how it feels to be normal again,_ he thought to himself happily. Then, there was a knock at the door. Once again, Niko jolted right up, causing the others to give him odd looks.

"I can get it," Sam offered, starting towards the door.

"No!" Niko snapped, causing her to freeze in her tracks.

"Uh, fine then," she muttered. Niko returned his attention to the door, and approached it slowly. A second knock at the door caused him to jump, but he readied himself as he slowly reached for the knob. He took a breath, then swung the door open.

"Wassup, wassup, wassup!" Felix sang as he struck a superhero pose. Niko felt his body turn to jelly as he internally groaned. He had readied himself all for nothing.

 _Damn… I'm so on edge… I need to calm down,_ Niko scolded himself. "Come on in," he offered to the boy. Felix marched inside and grinned to all of his friends.

"What did I miss?!" he asked, flinging his arms out.

"I swear, you're so hyper so often that I question if you can even _become_ exhausted," Sam said with a chuckle. "Anyway, welcome back, Felix. Did you do well in any turf wars?" she asked him. Felix hesitated for a moment, then proceeded to nod.

"Hey bro! We're going to the Summer Carnival this evening!" Iggy said to his friend. "I think I already know what you're going to say, but would you like to join us?" he asked.

"ABSO-FRIGGIN-LUTELY!" Felix yelled, as he sprinted at Iggy. The poor boy winced as Felix tackled him and Dani onto the Futon.

"OW! Felix, you idiot!" Dani hissed, cringing in pain and annoyance.

"Hey! Watch it!" Iggy protested, but couldn't help giggling.

"I LOVE YOU GUYS!" he yelled, hugging them as they struggled to untangle themselves. Iggy was especially scrambling to get up, as Felix had knocked him on top of Dani. Meanwhile, Sam and Niko were gazing on at the sight. Sam was chuckling while putting a palm to her mouth, and Niko was simply furrowing his brow.

"You're a crazy kid," Niko told him, as the three of them finally managed to break free from the pile. Felix grinned innocently.

"I'll take that as a compliment!" he told the dark inkling. "Anyways, we're going to the Carnival? I can't wait! I'm gonna play the games and win a giant plush, just for you, Dani!" the boy beamed. His sister rolled her eyes, but failed to suppress a smirk. Then she turned to Sam.

"Oh, I almost forgot!" she said.

"Yeah? What's up?" the magenta inkling asked.

"I was going to ask you if I should invite Alex?" Dani offered.

Niko felt a chill up his spine, as he jerked his head towards the girl. He felt a sick feeling in his lower gut. It took all of his self-control to remain calm. Sam unintentionally scowled, as she was reminded of her conversation with Alex in the library.

"No!" she blurted. Dani furrowed her brow incredulously, and both Iggy and Felix gave her odd looks. "I mean… I… no!" she said once again, starting to panic under all the attention. Niko shot out of his chair.

"Samantha, we need to talk. Right now," he ordered. Sam stared at him incredulously, while the others looked between the two siblings.

"Niko…?" she mumbled.

"RIGHT NOW!" he yelled, causing everyone in the room to flinch. He marched over to Sam and took her hand, leading her into Iggy's bedroom. They disappeared into the room, the door slamming behind them. Dani and Iggy exchanged concerned looks.

"…Uh, did I miss something?" Dani asked the boys.

"I feel the same way…" Iggy said, staring at his bedroom door. Felix shrugged.

"I wouldn't be too worried about it. I'm sure it has to do with Sam's massive crush on Alex anyway, you know, older brothers gotta be protective and all that," he said with a devilish grin.

"Felix that's not funny. Something is obviously wrong here…" Dani trailed off, concerned about her friend. Iggy simply remained silent, wondering what his siblings could be talking about.

…

"I want answers right now," Niko said coldly, backing Sam up against Iggy's bedroom wall.

"N-Niko, what are you t-talking about n-now?!" she demanded, frightened by his sudden rash behavior.

"Alex? Alex Boucher?! When was the last time you saw him?!" he growled impatiently.

"Wait… you do know Alex? From the hospital?" she asked him.

"That's not what I asked! I need to know when you saw him last!" he yelled with more perseverance.

"I saw him today!" she yelled back, irritated by his behavior. "He took me to the library! That's where I went earlier!" she thundered.

"I knew it! That son of a bitch!" Niko hissed, grabbing his temples. He returned his attention to Sam. "Wait a minute… you were rambling on about stupidity when you came home… you were talking about Alex," Niko concluded.

"Yes, I was talking about him…" she admitted, but then she narrowed her eyes. "Something's not right about this… how long have you known Alex?" she challenged him. Niko glared daggers at her.

"Never mind that, Samantha! I need your full cooperation right now, I beg of you. Now, why did you mean when you were ranting about stupidity?" he demanded. Sam looked at him carefully, resisting the urge to continue arguing. She exhaled in defeat, and conceded.

"Alex… he was rambling on and on about some crazy legends stuff! He had this weird book… and it was written in this weird language… talking about ancient beings and junk," she blurted, trying to remember everything. Niko was simply staring at her in horror.

"He told me there were these… what were they? Inkarnates? Yeah… and he said that they attach on to regular inklings? Giving them abilities? It was so bizarre! He's insane… and the weirdest part of it all, he showed me one of these beings in the book… and he was telling me that it was you! He said that you were 'possessed' by an Inkarnate! What kind of nonsense is that? I think he called it Igneous…" she finished, almost out of breath.

At that last word, Niko quickly pressed his hand firmly against her mouth. She writhed to break free, mumbling through his hand. Niko firmly pressed his other finger against his lips. Sam hesitated, and they both remained very silent. After a brief pause, Niko slowly turned his head to his sister, sighing with slight relief, but fear still very present in his eyes.

"Sam… I want you to listen very carefully," he whispered. "Never, EVER, repeat any of those words, to ANYONE, do you understand?" he asked her. Sam simply nodded her head. "I'm going to take my hand off now. I'm going to talk, and you're going to listen, understand?" he asked her, still very quietly. Sam nodded once again, and Niko slowly let go of her face.

"Okay… as you can tell, we have something we need to deal with here. I don't want you to ask me any questions… I'm going to explain everything to you, but I'm not ruining our little brother's night. All this craziness? Just do your best to keep it out of your head for tonight. This is just not the right time, but I promise, I PROMISE, that I'll help you figure everything out. I just need you to trust me, one more time," he uttered.

Sam stared at him, taking a few breaths. She saw the urgent look in Niko's eye, and didn't dare question him. Once again, she nodded. Niko sighed, continuing to keep himself from having a panic attack.

"Thank you. All we need to do, is remain calm, have a good night at the Carnival, and let our little brother live a happy life. He's a fragile kid, we both know that. And after that, you and I will figure this out," he finished.

"Okay. I'll fulfill my end of the deal, they won't even know a thing," she promised, somehow able to remain calm.

"Good, good. Just try not to think about it. We'll get through this," Niko reassured her, but he didn't even know if he believed himself. The siblings both walked out of Iggy's bedroom.

All three of the inklings looked at Sam and Niko expectantly.

"Alright, sorry about that, we just needed a quick moment. The final plan is that the five of us will be attending the Carnival together, no questions asked. Understood?" Niko announced to the others.

"Sir yes sir!" Felix shouted.

"Sounds like a plan, dude," Dani agreed.

"Um… alright," Iggy mumbled, glancing at Sam, trying to read her expression, but he got nothing. Dani grabbed a mozzarella stick, and handed Iggy the television remote.

"Might as well watch some TV while we wait, sound good?" Dani asked him. Iggy moved his eyes to his older brother, and they locked eyes for a moment. He furrowed his brow, Niko was staring at him urgently. Then the look faded and Niko forced a smile. Iggy took the remote.

"Yeah, sounds good."

…

The five friends walked along the path that led them to the entrance of Camp Triggerfish. The sky was glowing orange in the summer evening, the sun itself kissing the horizon. Spotlights lit up the sky, rotating in large circles, to bring attention to the bustling carnival. Sounds of music and happiness echoed from the venue, and the air smelled of fried foods and popcorn.

"I can't believe I've never heard of this!" Iggy exclaimed, gazing at the sight in awe. Felix turned to Niko with a curious mien.

"Hey, you're pretty much a local, what's the best part of the Carnival?" he asked the older boy. Niko glanced back in his direction.

"Best part? I'd say that's subjective, everyone likes something a little bit different. You'll find out for yourself," Niko replied dismissively. Felix shrugged, then turned back. They had arrived at the gates.

"I'm so excited! What should we do first, Iggy?" Dani asked him. He turned to her abruptly. "Oh… you want me to decide? Um… let's play some carnival games!" he suggested, looking at Felix with a smile. The boy grinned, and moved his hand to Iggy's shoulder.

"Now you're speaking my language! But there's been a slight change of plans. You see, there's an obstacle course in there, and you can bet your butt that's where I'll be! You two have fun!" Felix said to them, then he sprinted inside, but not before scanning his Battle ID with the gatekeeper.

"There he goes…" Dani chuckled, pinching the bridge of her nose. She glanced at Iggy with a smirk. "You know… as unbearable as he is sometimes, I do love my brother," she admitted. Iggy laughed and widened his eyes.

"Whaaat? Dani Kobayashi saying something nice about her twin brother, Felix Kobayashi? I thought I'd never see the day!" he teased with a grin. Dani giggled and rolled her eyes.

"Shut up," she playfully retorted. Iggy giggled, then noticed Niko and Sam, who were both still a few feet behind them. Iggy furrowed his brow, recalling that they had been rather quiet following their conversation back at the apartment.

"…You guys coming?" he asked them slowly. Sam quickly nodded her head.

"Yeah…! No worries, Iggy. You two go on ahead… we'll catch up," she replied.

"You heard her, Igg, go have fun," Niko uttered.

"Come on, dude!" Dani coaxed him, walking on her own through the entrance. Iggy glanced once more at his siblings, who each gave him a small smile. He returned the expression, then hurried after the girl with diamond eyes. Once he was gone, Sam turned to Niko, a look of emptiness in her eyes.

"Niko… I'm scared…" she whispered to him. Niko pulled her in for a hug. He could feel his sister shaking as they embraced. He exhaled softly.

"I know… I am too."

…

"Step right up kids!" a cartoon-like voice shouted at Iggy and Dani, as they walked along the path. The teens glanced over at the voice, which was coming from an inkling dressed as a clown. "Step right up for a chance to win!" he said, grinning when he saw he got their attention.

"I don't know, Iggy," Dani started, a smirk appearing on her face. "I'm not sure if you're skilled enough for this clown's game," she giggled.

"Oh, I'll show you!" Iggy yelled with a determined expression, surprised that she challenged him. The inklings approached the carnival game.

"Hey, kids? Want to play a little game for a chance to win a BIG PRIZE?!" the man shouted right in their faces. Dani glared at the clown in annoyance.

"Just cut to the chase, guy!" she ordered. The clown raised an eyebrow at her sassiness, but didn't address it.

"The game is called, _Destroy the City!_ " he told them. Iggy winced at the sound of the title. Dani simply motioned her hand so he would continue explaining.

"The rules are simple! All you need to do is knock down the 'City'…" he faltered, reaching under the counter, where he pulled out five wooden blocks that were painted to resemble buildings. He then pulled out three orange rubber balls. "…with these 'fireballs'! You get three throws, and you must knock down all five 'buildings'," the man explained, gesturing towards the wooden blocks that he set up.

"Uh… Who came up with this game?" Iggy asked, the premise seeming quite inappropriate.

"I did!" the clown replied proudly. Dani scoffed at the game's rules.

"This should be easy! Win a prize for me, Iggy!" she demanded. Iggy handed the clown three tickets that he had purchased earlier in the night, and in return, the clown gave him three rubber balls.

"Good luck, kid," the clown said, moving away from the impact zone. Iggy exhaled, channeling his conversation. He glanced over at Dani, who gave him a wink.

Iggy tossed his first ball at the blocks. It flew through the air, in route to be a direct hit. But once the ball hit the block, it simply bounced off, hardly making it wobble.

"Dang it! Throw it harder!" Dani commanded.

Iggy gulped, knowing he couldn't mess this up. He had two fireballs remaining, and all five buildings were still standing. Iggy took another breath, and launched the next ball with much more force. Iggy grinned when the ball knocked down two blocks at once.

"YEAH IGGY!" Dani cheered. Iggy's confidence increased, but he only had one ball left, and three blocks stood in his way of Dani's prize. Iggy felt a familiar heat in his chest, and he tightened his grip on the final ball. His eyes narrowed, as he pulled back his arm.

"HA!" he yelled, as he shot put the rubber ball as hard as he could. The ball collided with two of the blocks, then it ricocheted off the back of the wall, knocking over the final block.

"Omigosh! You did it! Hell yeah!" Dani exclaimed, jumping with excitement. Iggy blushed, and grinned in amazement. The clown came out with an impressed gaze at the happy boy.

"Congratulations, kid. Go ahead and pick yer prize," he grumbled. Iggy glanced at Dani proudly, giving her the power of choice.

"Nice goin, champ," she whispered, reaching for a large plush of a cerulean blue squid. Iggy grinned.

"Thanks, Dani! Hope you like your prize," he said to her.

"Don't thank me! You're the one with the skills!" she complimented, elbowing him playfully. They laughed together as they waved goodbye to the clown, walking off deeper into the carnival.

After that, they spent the next few hours wandering around, playing various carnival games, staring at all sorts of attractions, and eating the greasy foods. The night blended all together for Iggy, as one of the most fun experiences of his entire life. He also got to spend more time with Dani, strengthening their friendship. After a while, they stumbled upon the others, as Felix had found Sam and Niko.

"Hey, guys!" Iggy called out to them. They all looked towards the two, and they all smiled when they saw Dani's plush.

"Look what Iggy won for me!" she exclaimed, waving it in their faces.

"Nice going… Iggster…" Felix panted. His hands were on his knees, and he seemed completely out of breath. Iggy raised his eyebrows, as it was his first time seeing Felix's energy drained.

"Whoa, bro, what happened?" Iggy asked him. Felix gestured his hand behind them, and in the distance, Iggy could see the obstacle course.

"I've been there… for the past four hours! I'm exhausted!" the poor boy wheezed, ready to collapse. Dani giggled, and Niko sighed.

"Well, time flies when you're having fun. But, it's getting late. Iggy, Sam, it's time for us to go home," the dark inkling commanded, giving an urgent glance at his sister. Iggy checked his phone and was surprised how late it was.

"Oh, this did fly by!" he exclaimed. "Alright, I guess we should head back," he agreed.

"Oh, I forgot to mention, tonight I have a sleepover with another friend, so this is where we'll split up," Felix blurted, causing Dani to give him a puzzled look.

"Um, okay? With who?" she asked him. Felix waved his hand dismissively.

"You don't know him, I met him in turf wars," he said without expression.

"Alright, Thanks for coming to the carnival with us," Niko said, trying to move things along.

"See you later Felix!" Iggy exclaimed, giving his friend a quick hug. "Get some rest, you've had quite the day," he said with a smile, remembering everything they did together that day. The blue inkling smiled weakly, and waved as he broke from the group.

"Ready to go?" Niko asked the rest. Everyone nodded, and with that, Niko led the way out of the carnival, and back to Greenfield Condominiums.

…

"Hey Niko, is it okay if I walk Dani home?" Iggy asked, as they were waiting for the elevator.

"Sure, just come back soon, we have something important we need to talk about," Niko replied. And with that, Niko and Sam boarded the elevator, bringing the group to just Iggy and Dani.

"Well… that was a lot of fun," Iggy said to her, pushing the button to go up again.

"I agree. We need to do more stuff like that," she chuckled.

Ding.

The next elevator opened up, and the kids boarded. Dani pressed the button that would take them to the tenth floor, where she and Felix lived. Iggy smiled in realization as the doors closed.

"Heh, I sometimes forget to appreciate that we live in the same condo," he said, looking over at Dani. She smirked, and nodded her head.

"I know, right? It's pretty convenient," she admitted, moving her eyes to the elevator control panel. She hovered her finger over the executive floor button, the one with the bolt logo. "I've always wanted to see what was on this floor," she admitted, lightly pressing the button, but it was no use without the access card.

"Here, let me try," Iggy said jokingly, taking out his room key. He inserted the card into the nearby slot, and tried pushing the button. A small light glowed red to indicate that access was denied. They both chuckled. "It was worth a shot," Iggy laughed.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened at floor ten, and they both stepped out. As they walked to Dani's room, Iggy felt butterflies in his gut; he had a sudden urge to do something. He tried to gulp his nervousness down, when they finally reached her room.

"Well, thanks for walking me Iggy, I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked, opening up the door. Iggy smiled nervously as he nodded.

"Y-yeah! T-tomorrow…" he agreed, internally scolding himself for acting so awkward. Dani raised her eyebrow at him, halfway through the doorway.

"Alright, so… goodnight?" she asked him, almost expecting something more.

"…W-Wait!" Iggy stammered, his face red. "Um… c-can I ask you s-something?" he asked her shakily. She simply waited expectantly for him to finish. He noticed her nonverbal answer, and took a deep breath.

"D-do you… l-like me?" he whispered. Dani smirked at him.

"Of course I like you, Iggy! We're great friends, you're like a brother to me!" she told him happily. And with that, she closed the door on his face.

Iggy simply stood there for a moment, trying to process her words. He slowly felt his heart sink.

"…oh…" Iggy mumbled to himself.

He slowly turned himself away from the door, and began dragging himself to the elevator.

But then he heard the sound of a door opening.

Iggy whirled around, but before he could even react, Dani grabbed his head and moved his lips to hers.

Iggy stood there in shock for a second, his heart doing jumping jacks. Then, he closed his eyes, and returned the effort. They stood together in the hallway, kissing passionately. He had never kissed anyone before, but it felt natural to him. The warmth flowed through his entire body, Iggy felt like he was melting; her lips tasted like a very light honey. The kiss lasted for nearly an entire minute.

Then, she pulled away, as both of them gasped for air. Iggy stared at her, still in complete shock. Dani giggled at his expression, and simply smirked at him like she always did.

"Gotcha," she whispered.

And without another word, she sprinted back into her room and slammed the door. Iggy simply stood there frozen, with a stupid grin on his face. Never before had he been thrown in such a roller coaster of emotions. After multiple minutes of standing in the hallway, he floated into the elevator, pressing the button that would take him to floor eighteen.

Ding.

Iggy slowly walked to his room, without a care in the world. He swiped his room key at door 1884, and entered into his home.

"I'm back," he said serenely, but his senses sharpened back into normal as he entered. Sam and Niko were sitting side by side on the futon, but something was off. Iggy shut the door as he sized up his siblings. Neither of them looked at him, they were sitting very still. Iggy squinted his eyes and noticed Sam was trembling.

"Sam?" he squeaked, a sudden terrible feeling washing over him. The girl didn't move, and Iggy noticed Niko had a look of rage on his face. But he also didn't move.

"G-Guys? W-what's going on?!" he demanded.

"Ignacio Galiano, how polite of you to join us," a familiar voice bellowed from the kitchen. Iggy froze, as he moved his eyes to the sound of the voice.

Jack Kawasaki slowly stepped out of the kitchen, aiming a metal blaster at Iggy's siblings. He had an ominous, but also victorious smile on his face.

"You're right on time, why don't you take a seat? The party's just begun."

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

Welcome to Act III.


	20. Chapter 20 - The Happening

Iggy stood there, frozen with fear. He had no idea how Jack found them, or got into their condo. He simply glanced at his siblings, hoping for some sort of answer. His heart sank when they continued to sit still.

"Well? What are you waiting for? Sit down!" Jack commanded with a sharp tone. Iggy winced, as he slowly walked over to the chair adjacent to the futon. He lowered himself into the chair, making eye contact with Niko as he sat down. He looked as if he was trying to silently communicate something, but Iggy couldn't quite read it.

"That's an obedient little boy. Now, you all are to keep your mouths shut while I contact my colleague," he hissed, dialing into his phone. He lifted it to his ear as he waited for the other line to pick up.

"Hello?" an unrecognizable voice asked weakly.

"Come in," Jack commanded, disconnecting the call immediately. Then, Iggy heard the front door open. All three Galianos turned their heads, and who stood in the doorway caused a mix of reactions.

Alex Boucher closed the door behind him, a look of shame and embarrassment on his face. Iggy furrowed his eyebrows, Sam's jaw dropped, and a low, growling sound escaped Niko's throat.

"Shut up!" Jack yelled, aiming his blaster at Niko. He returned his attention to Alex, but his smug smile faded when he saw his expression. "Seriously, Alex? You have to mope during our big moment? We've finally done it! Could you drop the childish sulking?!" Jack demanded.

"Jack… please… let's just get this over with…" he mumbled somberly. He stepped away from the door, leaving it slightly ajar. Niko caught sight of this instantly.

"IGGY RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!" he screamed. Jack scowled, and swung the large barrel of his blaster right into the side of Niko's head. The dark inkling's body went limp, as he fell unconscious. Sam shrieked, and covered her head, shuddering in fear. Iggy wasted no time. He jumped out of the chair and made a break for the door.

"NOT SO FAST, BOY!" Jack shouted, as he lined up his blaster with the fleeing inkling. He fired, and a large glob of gray ink directly hit him, splattering all over Iggy's torso and side of his face. The instant the ink impacted him, Iggy screamed as tears fell from his eyes immediately. He fell to the floor, seizing in the unbearable pain caused by the toxic ink. He felt like his skin was on fire, and he writhed on the floor, crying loudly and unable to control himself as he began hyperventilating.

"AHHH, MY BROTHER!" Sam cried, as tears fell from her eyes. She outstretched her hands to him, completely traumatized as she watched him suffer.

"Watch it! You make any sudden moves and the same will happen to you!" Jack threatened, turning his blaster to Sam. Alex began to panic, and he glared daggers at his colleague.

"Jack! Stop this madness! This was not part of the plan, dilute him at once!" he yelled. Jack rolled his eyes, as he took out a small vial full of clear liquid. He tossed it to Alex, while shaking his head.

"Not part of the plan… they're the ones who started acting up! I just responded accordingly," Jack retorted, as Alex poured the contents of the vial over Iggy's body.

As the liquid hit his skin, he felt instant relief, as the intense burn became a dull sting. The gray ink completely dissipated in a matter of seconds. He slowly began breathing normally again, but he had gone into shock. He lied there helplessly as Sam continued crying, a lifeless Niko draped over her lap. Alex glared at Jack, and sighed with frustration.

"Let's go," he urged.

"Agreed, you take this sack. I got the pinkies," Jack dictated. He pulled out some rope, and tied Sam's hands behind her back. While Jack knotted the rope, Sam stared viciously into Alex's eyes.

"I'm sorry… I wish it didn't have to be like this," Alex whispered, turning away from her. Jack simply rolled his eyes, and moved to Iggy, who was still helplessly lying on the floor. He finished tying Iggy's binds, and took hold of his arm, pulling him off the ground. The boy didn't protest or try to get away, he simply remained silent and weakly followed along.

Jack grabbed Sam's arm, who also didn't attempt to break free, as he led them to the front door. He turned to see Alex struggling to drag Niko's limp body across the floor by his legs.

"Don't look at me like that, hurry up," he muttered. Jack shrugged, and pulled along the two distraught inklings into the hallway. Alex dragged Niko out of the condo, and promptly shut the door the room 1884.

"You two make a sound, I'll fry ye," Jack threatened, keeping the barrel of his blaster right between them. They silently walked through the hallway, towards the elevator. Jack slapped the elevator button to take them down, and they all waited, Sam's mind full of fear, while Iggy couldn't process anything cognitively.

Ding.

They boarded the elevator, and Alex dragged Niko across the floor, and inside. Jack pulled out his Battle ID card, and insert it into the elevator slot. He pressed his index finger on the lightning bolt button, and the indicator light lit up a bright green. Iggy finally broke out of his trance.

"Y-you… live on th-the executive f-floor?" he stammered, hoarse from all the wailing. The elevator began its descent, as Jack chuckled.

"Kid… you don't even know the half of it," he cooed. Iggy moved his eyes to the floor indicator, and watched as it counted down from floor eighteen. He felt a sick feeling in his gut when the elevator passed the lobby.

Ding.

The doors opened up, but instead of Greenfield Condominiums, they were in an unfamiliar place to Iggy. Jack shoved them out into the area, as Alex dragged Niko out. Iggy and Sam both looked all around the area in awe.

"Where are we?" Iggy demanded weakly. Jack gestured towards a large sign that was positioned on the wall across from the elevators.

"See for yourself," he said with a sly smile. Iggy furrowed his brow and turned to the large sign. He read the words, feeling a sense of both confusion and uneasiness.

 _The Security of Ancient Inkarnate Legends, Alpha HQ_

"SAIL… you… you're Team SAIL!" Sam realized, remembering what Niko had told her.

"That's us," Jack said proudly, as Alex shook his head.

"Inkarnate Legends?" Iggy asked. Jack ignored his question, and started pushing them down the corridor. Suddenly, he heard a groaning sound behind them, and he whirled around. Niko slowly began moving, as he reached for where Jack had struck him. Alex gave him an urgent look.

"Toss me some rope," he ordered. Jack obeyed, throwing him a length of rope. Alex bound Niko's hands behind his back before he could fully regain consciousness.

"That's probably not going to do much, knowing him," Jack muttered. "Let's hurry," he suggested, leading the hostages through the corridor. As Alex dragged inkling along, he slowly began to wake.

"Ah… my head…" he opened his eyes to see his surroundings, and realized he was being dragged across the floor. "H-hey…!" he mumbled, with an irritated scowl. He then recognized where he was. The green marble, the large pillars. "No… it can't be… NOOO!" Niko screamed, as he started writhing.

"What in the-? Hey!" Jack shouted as he noticed the commotion. Iggy and Sam gave their brother a concerned look, watching somberly as he struggled. Alex fought to keep Niko under control. Then, Niko noticed that his siblings were staring at him, begging for answers. Upon seeing this, he began to scream and thrash about violently.

"Easy, Niko! This will only make things worse," Alex said sharply, in attempt to help the dark inkling.

"I know how to shut him up," Jack said devilishly. He pulled Iggy into a choke hold and aimed his blaster right at the poor boy's face. Iggy began whimpering, as tears formed in his eyes once again. Niko froze, loathingly staring at Jack.

"Jack, please," Alex said, averting his eyes. The Lieutenant simply ignored his colleague, grinning at Niko's submissiveness.

"That's right, tough guy. You misbehave anymore, the boy gets it," he threatened. Niko conceded, as he stood up, staring at the ground lifelessly.

Jack moved behind the group, keeping his blaster at the ready, as they escorted the hostages through the main foyer of the headquarters. Iggy glanced over at his older brother, desperate for some sort of explanation. Niko continued staring at the floor, not even acknowledging his siblings. Iggy sighed in defeat as he continued to follow the group, but what he saw next made his skin turn to ice.

His best friend, Felix Kobayashi, was standing near a large chair, almost like a throne. And seated in the chair, was a menacing looking inkling, wearing strange clothing. The inkling was scowling at the five of them, as they slowly approached. Felix turned his head, and he went pale when he saw his friends tied up.

"Iggy?! Sam?! Wh-what's the m-meaning of this?!" Felix shouted at Jack's face. "Those are my friends, let them go!" he pleaded.

"Felix! Help us!" Iggy wailed.

"Please! They're kidnapping and torturing us!" Sam cried. Felix looked at Jack with concern and confusion, silently begging for an explanation.

"Don't listen to them, Private. They speak only lies, they only seek to take advantage of you!" Jack uttered, putting his hand on Felix's shoulder. "I'm sorry, but these so-called friends of yours have been using you this whole time. You can't trust them, you could seriously get hurt," Jack told the incredulous boy. Felix glanced at his friends in disbelief, not sure what to think.

"B-but…" he mumbled.

"FELIX HE'S LYING! I'M YOUR FRIEND!" Iggy shouted, Alex having to hold him down so he wouldn't break loose. Jack narrowed his eyes at the troublesome inkling, then looked at Alex. "Gag him," he ordered. Alex reluctantly pulled out a cloth, and wrapped it around Iggy's mouth. Niko watched in absolute horror as Alex gagged his younger brother.

"NO! WE'RE INNOCENT PLE-" Sam was cut off as Alex gagged her as well, limiting her to incoherent babbling. Jack smiled contently and returned his attention to Felix.

"Private Kobayashi, I know this is hard for you… the truth hurts," he told him with a half-fabricated sympathy. Felix glared at the Lieutenant, his heart broken.

"You said we were supposed to help people!" he snapped, tearing up. He gestured to the prisoners. "This isn't helping, this isn't humane! What could these children possibly have done to deserve this?!" he demanded.

"This is a special situation, Felix, it's not what _has_ been done, it's to prevent what _would_ be done," he explained. Then they all heard something that sent chills through their bodies.

Laughter. Jack slowly turned towards the prisoners, along with everyone else. The laughter was coming from Niko.

"Heh… heh… heh-heh… hahaha… ahh… AHHH HA HA HA HAAA! GAH HA HAAA!" Niko cackled maniacally, falling on the floor, as everyone in the room watched him in disbelief. He was laughing like mad, as tears fell from his eyes. After a few moments, he calmed down, and stood back on his feet. He glared at Jack with a crazed smile.

"Please," he scoffed, shaking his head. "Do you even hear yourself? Do you not realize how ridiculous this entire operation is?! HA HA HAAA!" he screamed. Jack simply watched him, rendered speechless. Iggy and Sam exchanged nervous glances.

"He's gone insane…" Alex whispered to himself. Then Niko exhaled, a smile still on his face, as he pulled his wrists apart, ripping the ropes that bound his hands. Jack aimed his weapon at his face.

"Get that out of my face, imbecile!" he shouted, slapping the blaster out of Jack's hands, cackling as the Lieutenant yelped in shock.

"YOU'RE GOING TO GET IT NOW!" Jack yelled, his face turning red.

 _SLAM._

Everyone stopped in their tracks and looked towards the sound. General Ace stood from the large chair, slowly turning towards the six of them.

"Enough," he hissed.

Niko grinned and stomped towards the general. Jack readied his weapon, but Ace put his hand up to stop him, silently shaking his head. Then, he faced Niko, and simply waited.

"So, you're the one running this shit-show now. I'd say it's a pleasure, but… well, you get the IDEA!" Niko shouted, jumping right at the general at the last word. Niko went in for a blow, but Ace moved quickly, moving his hands at lightning speeds. Niko's face contorted with confusion, as his attack was countered, Ace took hold of him and launched him back, causing him to fall back onto himself.

"GAAAHHH!" Niko yelled, in pain but mostly out of rage. Iggy and Sam gasped in their brother's failure, while Felix and Alex watched on silently. Jack smirked at the sight of Niko being outmatched. General Ace simply stared back at him, as he slowly paced towards him.

"You've gotten weaker," Ace spoke, with the gruff, almost crackling voice. Niko snapped out of his madness, and stared right at the general.

"Th-that voice!" Niko stammered, staring at the general in awe. "Who are you? Who are you really?!" he begged, not breaking his stare. Ace turned away, slowly pacing back to the chair. Then, he faced his lieutenants.

"Take them to the holding cell," he ordered, gesturing towards the Galianos. "We'll keep them there until morning. Tomorrow, the Inkarnate will be neutralized," he commanded.

"Affirmative, General!" Jack replied.

"Understood, General…" Alex mumbled. Jack strolled over to Niko, and happily bound his arms, Niko not putting up any fight. He simply kept his eyes on the general. Felix slowly approached Jack, his head hanging low.

"Jack? I mean… Lieutenant Kawasaki?" Felix asked somberly. The boy in question looked to his trainee, forcing a saddened expression.

"Ask me anything, Private," he said softly.

"C-can I please talk with you? I don't know if I can do this anymore…" he mumbled, glancing over at his friends, feeling a pain in his gut seeing the gag tied around Iggy's face. _There's no way they were using me…_ he thought to himself.

"I'll talk with the boy. You take them to the holding cells," General Ace insisted. Jack raised an eyebrow, but didn't dare question his superior, as he backed away from Felix. Both lieutenants led the prisoners down another corridor, Sam and Iggy giving one more desperate look to their friend. The blue inkling gulped, turning his attention to the ominous figure, who slowly paced towards him.

"Felix Kobayashi… you're the kind of individual who has gone through something tragic as a young child. Something shook you, which caused you to develop this personality full of energy, in hope that nobody can sense your pain inside…" Ace trailed off. Felix simply stared in disbelief.

"What…?" he whispered.

"And you've adopted this sense of needing to help others," Ace continued, ignoring the confused boy, as he continued to pace slowly. "Hoping that maybe they'll recover from any form of pain, something you could never achieve," he said chillily, meeting eyes with the private.

"I don't know what you're talking about…" Felix muttered, his heart beginning to pound in his chest.

"The point is, you're perfect for us. You're really doing a great service for inkling kind. I apologize that your friends weren't who you thought they were," the general faked, waiting for the boy to respond.

"But what if… what if I say no to all of this?" Felix dared, still attempting to suppress his fear. Ace nodded without expression. He signaled his hand towards another operative, who immediately walked down the corridor that led to the elevators.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Ace muttered icily. "It's a shame, it didn't have to be this way," he trailed off. He paced back over to his large chair, as a sound from the elevator's corridor caught Felix's attention. The sounds of an inkling girl struggling became louder and louder. Felix eyed the hallway, and felt his heart sink when he noticed his sister being pulled along by two guards.

"DANI!" Felix shouted in horror, scowling at her handlers.

"Felix? Where are we? What's going on?!" she begged.

"I wouldn't make any sudden moves if I were you," Ace hissed, sharply turning towards Felix. "If you make a single wrong movement, you can say goodbye to your sister," the general threatened. Felix froze, obeying the fiend. The twins stared into each other's eyes, both of them in complete shock.

"Good… you're smarter than you look. Now that we've provided you some motivation here, you're going to do what we tell you to do," he ordered with a nonchalant gesture toward the girl. Felix remained silent, but almost began trembling.

"Felix… why?" Dani whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. The boy couldn't move. He was simply too traumatized to even say a word.

"Take her to the cell," Ace told the operative. The general gave one last look at Felix, and then paced away, leaving Felix alone in the giant foyer. The boy watched somberly as his sister was dragged away, to be thrown into a cold dark cell alongside his other friends.


	21. Chapter 21 - Caged

"Thank you for choosing Greenfield Condominiums! Please enjoy your stay!" Jack laughed, as he shoved the three Galianos into a cold, dark cell. He had ripped off their gags; their mouths had been rubbed raw by the cloth. The poor children's wrists were sore from the tight ropes, and bruises were all over their bodies from being tossed around.

Jack smiled down at his victims, as if he were a fisherman proud of the game that he had caught. He chuckled to himself and slid the metal cell door shut. Alex watched from a distance, with a depressed mien.

"That's unnecessary…" the Lieutenant mumbled where nobody could hear. Jack smiled at the prisoners, then turned to his friend.

"Isn't it beautiful irony? To think that we were right below them the whole time, and they had no idea!" Jack laughed, trying to get a reaction out of his colleague, who refused to acknowledge him. Sam glared at both of them.

"You're disgusting…" she spat, stepping towards the barrier. "Just you wait until somebody finds out what you've done!" she yelled at him, trying to hide her fear. Jack simply smiled back at the girl, Alex gulped to himself, worried how his abrasive colleague might react.

"Sam… be careful…" Alex warned with a concerned expression, though he still avoided her gaze.

"SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!" she yelled back, causing the empathetic lieutenant to wince.

"Watch yourself, girl!" Jack warned, aiming his metal blaster at her face. "Or else deep-fried bitch is on the menu tonight," he threatened. The girl gasped in shock at his remark, dying to slap him in the face. But the barrel pointed between her eyes kept her quiet.

 _Don't talk like that to my sister!_ Iggy wanted to yell, but he couldn't find the energy to say or do anything, his head was spinning after seeing Felix and the ominous general. He remained lying on the hard floor nearby a crazed Niko, who was whispering to himself.

"Jack that's enough!" Alex shouted, sick of his cruelty. Upon hearing this, the lieutenant whirled around and scowled at his colleague.

"Alright listen here, you!" he snapped, marching over to Alex. Jack pressed his finger to his chest. "I don't know what's gotten into you, or what you think this operation is about, but you need to cut this pitiful garbage out. What, did your balls drop off? Get a grip, Boucher!" Jack yelled, inches away from Alex's face.

Alex's sadness became frustration. He scowled at Jack, grabbing him by his shoulders and throwing him on the ground. The baffled operative looked up in shock at the usually docile boy. The two of them exchanged scowls for a moment, before he turned away, stomping his way down the hall. Jack silently stood up and watched him go.

"HAHAHAHA! HAAA!" Niko screamed, causing Iggy to back away from him. The dark inkling sprung to his feet and clung to the bars. "Look at you, Kawasaki. Getting outmatched by Alexander Boucher of all the lousy operatives in this establishment," he laughed.

"Give it up, Galiano," Jack muttered while shaking his head. "You're embarrassing yourself in front of your family. Just accept the fact that you've lost. We both know it's something you could never do," he retorted coldly. Niko just grinned at the lieutenant with murder in his eyes.

"You want to talk about embarrassing? And who are you? The biggest screw up in your family? The odd card, disowned by his own parents, having no choice but to be brought into a cult? How's that for embarrassing?!" Niko screamed, shaking the bars violently.

Jack's stern expression faded. Instead, genuine pain filled his eyes. He looked down at the ground for a moment before walking away silently. Sam and Iggy observed the interaction, still in absolute confusion. Niko watched proudly as the disheartened green inkling trudged away.

"Nicolás…" Sam called out. The boy in question took a moment to revert himself out of his madness, then turned to his sister with sadness in his eyes.

"You used to work for these people… didn't you?" she concluded. Niko stared deeply into her eyes, all while Iggy listened without a clue of what they were talking about. The older boy nodded.

"I never knew, Samantha," he whispered, in attempt to defend himself. "You saw Iggy's friend back there, naivety allows people to be taken advantage of. You can't trust anyone," he told her with a shameful gaze to the floor. Iggy furrowed his brow.

"Guys… what is all this? Why do I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't know what's going on?" he asked them, desperate for an answer.

"I'm trying to protect your innocence, brother," Niko admitted, walking nearer to him. He leaned down to speak to him one on one. "This whole time… I thought that sparing you the details of all of this would save you… in the end, it got us killed…" he mumbled.

"K-K-Killed?!" Iggy sputtered, his heart rate increasing by the second.

"W-Wait… W-What?!" Sam whimpered.

"Siblings, please," Niko uttered, in hopes of calming them. "I won't let that happen. I promise," he told them, not even believing his own words.

"B-But Niko… who are these people? Alex was my friend… I thought Jack was a thug… and Felix…" Iggy murmured, his eyes beginning to tear as he spoke the last name.

"Team SAIL… The Security of Ancient Inkarnate Legends… their whole scheme is lying and manipulation. Those two Lieutenants are bad news, especially Alex… I don't trust his sympathy at all. Your friend though… no, he's not a threat," he spoke, as if he were checking names off of a list. "In fact, he reminds me of myself… manipulated into thinking he was making the right decision… look how I turned out," he muttered.

"Okay… but what are 'Ancient Inkarnate Legends?' You act like it's self-explanatory, but it's not," Iggy pointed out. Sam cleared her throat.

"Well, there's a book-" Sam started before Niko slammed his fist on the floor, cutting her off.

"Absolutely not, Samantha. Did you not remember what I told you? Do not repeat the words. To anybody," he instructed urgently. Sam narrowed her eyes in annoyance.

"Alright, fine. I didn't know that still mattered considering we're locked up in a prison right now," she muttered. Niko shook his head and exhaled with a bit of relief.

"Everything I tell you ALWAYS matters, Sam," he told her, refocusing his attention on his curious little brother. "Anyway… the Inkarnate Legends… it's this, mythological belief… greater beings exist among us, blah blah blah. All that nonsense," Niko said with distaste. Iggy's eyes slightly lit up.

"Mythological… I've always found that interesting," Iggy admitted. His older brother glared at him in disbelief.

"Well, this is not exactly the time for hobbies, Ignacio. These people are basically a cult, it's all bad news. I fear what has yet to come…" he admitted. Iggy gulped, recalling his earlier comment.

"Well, you did say… they might… k-kill us…" he whispered, shuddering as he barely choked out the words. Niko shook his head quickly.

"Not us. They'll kill me for sure… Samantha, they'll probably find some alibi and throw her back out into the world. You, however… I'm not entirely sure," he told them.

"Niko! I don't want you to die!" Iggy whimpered, putting his hand on his older brother's shoulders.

"Wait a minute… what do you mean you're not entirely sure?" Sam suddenly asked, glancing at Iggy.

"Kids, please. One at a time. There's just so much information here… I can't overwhelm you. And besides, all you need to know is that these people are insane… and that we're trapped. There's really nothing we can do… it's… it's over…" Niko mumbled, his eyes glazing over in realization.

"Niko… there has to be a way, right? Right?!" Sam pleaded, as her heart slowly began to sink. To her dismay, he didn't respond.

"The first week in Inkopolis… this is an actual nightmare…" Iggy whispered. He lowered his head, unable to fathom how things could go so wrong.

Suddenly, the three inklings heard a familiar voice. It was the sound of struggling. Iggy furrowed his brow and quickly hopped to his feet. His jaw dropped when he met eyes with Dani, who was being violently dragged towards the cells.

"LET HER GO!" Iggy demanded, shaking the bars as tears fell from his eyes once again.

"I-Iggy? Wh-what are you d-doing here?" she demanded. She noticed his siblings among him in the cell. "Sam? Iggy's brother? What is going on?! I just saw Felix and… and I…" she faltered, her voice breaking. She lowered her head as tears poured down her cheeks.

"Get back!" shouted the inkling who held Dani captive. He aimed a metal splattershot at Iggy, who promptly backed away from the bars in fear. He approached the cell door, but his hand froze when he glanced at Niko.

"What? Scared?" Niko hissed, in attempt to challenge the operative. He scowled, and stepped away from the cell door.

"Not scared. Just not stupid," he retorted, as he moved to the cell across from them. Niko chuckled, shaking his head in disappointment.

"I guess I'm a fool for thinking it would be THAT easy," he muttered to himself.

The operative rolled his eyes, as he opened the cell opposite to the Galianos. Dani shrieked as he threw her inside. Iggy winced when she hit the floor. He felt a familiar burning rage inside of him, almost causing him to charge at the bars of his own cell.

"Stay obedient and we'll let you go. We just gotta take care of him first," the brute told Dani, as he gestured his hand to the other cell. He looked over at the three of them, each of them staring. Niko's gaze full of hopelessness, Sam's was wet and teary, and Iggy's was full of hate. The operative chuckled to himself and strolled away. After a moment, Iggy approached the bars once again.

"Dani! Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Iggy asked, trying to hold back more tears.

"Ugh… yeah… I think I'm okay…" she replied sadly. "What the hell is even going on? Nothing seems real right now…" she mumbled with a confused mien.

"I know… sadly I have no idea…" Iggy replied, with a slight glance towards Niko. "We just got here," he told her.

"Oh…" Dani whispered, her heart sinking. She looked around her cell, her expression matching what she was, a caged animal. Iggy could see her shivering all the way from his cell. She turned back towards him. "I'm just… worried about my brother… something… something is really wrong here…" she cried.

"Yeah… I know…" Iggy whispered, his eyes drooping to the floor.

"Felix doesn't deserve this," Sam mumbled sadly, putting her face in her hands as she silently wept. Iggy thought about her words, thought about his best friend. He felt a burning anger inside him, furious with the horrible people who would traumatize such an innocent soul.

"We need to get out of here…" Iggy muttered, turning towards his brother. "Niko! You're familiar with this place, right? Is there a way out? Please think!" he begged. Niko glanced at his younger brother with lifeless eyes.

"I'm… I'm not strong enough…" Niko mumbled, his usual stoicism completely gone. He turned away from them, staring at the wall. Before he knew it, memories flooded his head, leaving him in a trance.

* * *

Niko rested his hands on his knees, panting from exhaustion. He stood in SAIL's training facility, gasping for air behind a large punching bag. A determined-faced Annabeth stood nearby, observing his movements carefully. The two operatives were alone, the large gymnasium only lit by a small fluorescent; all other members had gone to bed for the night.

"Go again," Annabeth commanded, without expression. Niko stared at her incredulously, still panting over his knees.

"I'm… about to pass out!" Niko wheezed, hardly able to keep his balance. Annabeth simply stared at him unimpressed. He gave her a pleading gaze. "We've been doing this for hours…" he complained.

"Niko, enough complaining. Nobody ever said this was going to be easy, if you ever want to find your inner strength you must listen to me," she told him. She flicked her hand at the punching bag. "Again," she urged him once more.

Niko adjusted his posture, reading himself in a fighting stance. He exhaled slowly, concentrating his remaining energy. He scowled at the bag, before delivering three consecutive blows. He grunted and shouted as he threw punches, while Annabeth continued to observe him, unfazed by his performance. After about a dozen hits, Niko returned to his resting position, wheezing even harder than before.

"No good," Annabeth muttered, gazing down at the exhausted boy. Niko shook his head furiously.

"Forget it, Annabeth! I'll never be able to find 'inner strength' or whatever, I can't do it!" he pouted with frustration as he continued breathing heavily. His girlfriend scowled at him.

"Don't EVER tell me you can't do something. I'm training you, and we're not resting until you do this right. We'll do it again and again until the sun comes up if we have to," she snapped. Niko frowned in defeat, as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"It's impossible…" Niko groaned, feeling his chest cramp up from overtraining. Upon hearing that, Annabeth got a gleam in her eye.

"Move over," she ordered, readying herself. Niko raised an eyebrow at her, unsure of what she was thinking.

"What? What are you going to do?" he demanded.

"I said out of the way!" she snapped, butting him to the side. Niko stumbled away from the punching bag, and stared at the girl in anticipation. Annabeth faced the bag, taking in a deep breath, and exhaled slowly just as Niko did before. She looked at the bag with extreme rage, then pulled back her arm.

"HA!" she screamed, as she thrust her fist forward. Her hand impacted the bag, causing the metal chain to snap from above. Niko watched in amazement as the hit sent the object flying, landing nearly ten feet from where Annabeth stood. She shook her wrist slightly, eased her breathing, then looked at Niko expectantly.

"I don't… how did you do that?!" Niko begged, still in awe with a hint of intimidation. Annabeth suppressed a smile, still trying to retain her stern persona. She forced a scowl.

"Have you been ignoring me all night?" she muttered, coaxing him to a neighboring training bag. She positioned him in front of it, and backed away to a safe distance. "Hit it as hard as you can, but concentrate your movement to the exact center," she ordered.

"I'll try…" he mumbled, readying himself again. He pulled back his fist and hit the bag with all of his might. To both of the inklings' disappointment, the bag simply swayed back and forth.

"Harder," Annabeth urged. Niko sighed with irritation. He pulled back his fist again and hit it with the same amount of force. Once again, it stayed intact.

"Not working…" he murmured.

"Shut up," Annabeth hissed, her determination increasing. "Hit it harder," she instructed. Niko struck it again, with the same result. He winced as his wrist was growing sore.

"I'm hitting it as hard as I can!" Niko yelled.

"I want you to focus your breathing. Your natural instincts are holding you back. It's a natural fear ingrained in our brains not to extort our full strength. You must overcome this instinct. Focus on giving your all, break past that limit and let your inner strength out!" Annabeth yelled.

Niko closed his eyes, absorbing her supportive words. He put his mind at a sense of rest, channeling a concentrated and controlled rage deep within him. He pulled his arm back, but this time didn't think about the pain of his wrist.

"HA!" Niko screamed, as he threw his fist forward at the bag without limitation. The bag shot off the holding chains, shattering them completely. The leather bag itself tore in two, as both pieces flew to the opposite end of the room. Niko looked at his own fist in awe, a stupefied grin appearing on his face.

"Well I'll be damned, you did it!" Annabeth said, finally letting her coaching scowl fade away. "And you were saying it was impossible," she said with a sly smile, giving him a playful nudge with her elbow.

"That's amazing… my hands don't even hurt!" Niko said, staring at disembodied training bag. Annabeth wrapped her arms around Niko's waist, proud of her trainee.

"With enough willpower, you can do anything, Niko. Punching your way through life might not be the way to solve all your problems, but it sure as hell makes things easier!" she told him with a smirk. Niko grinned proudly, as he enjoyed the embrace.

* * *

Niko snapped out of his trance, feeling a new sense of determination. He remembered all the time and effort he had put into training. He remembered the skills that took him years to master. He remembered how he went from a terrified little inkling into a fighting machine. He turned to his cellmates.

"Brother… sister…" he started, as a genuine smile appeared on his face for the first time in a very long time. Both of them looked up at him, almost startled by his expression. "We're going home. We're getting out of here. That, or I'll die trying," he said to them.

"Uh… how?" Iggy asked, not fully believing in his brother. In response, Niko turned his attention to the cell door. He closed his eyes, and took a deep breath. Sam and Iggy noticed this and slowly moved away from him. Niko channeled his anger, putting his mind at a sense of rest, but instead focusing on freeing his family. His eyes shot open, as he pulled back his arm.

"AHHHHHH!" he screamed as he punched the metal bars with all of his might. Iggy's jaw dropped as the metal door flew off of its railing, completely knocked out of the way. Niko stood with his arm outstretched, panting to himself. He turned his head towards his brother, a sly smirk appearing on his face.

"Just like that. Now, mind joining me in getting the hell out of here?"

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **Hnnngh I absolutley hated this chapter for some reason. I dunno. Let me know if you guys liked it. I JUST WANNA GET TO THE REALLY GOOD STUFF HGHGHHGH.**


	22. Chapter 22 - Escape

"How the hell did you do that…?" Iggy whispered in disbelief, as Niko stepped out of the cell. The dark inkling shook himself and smiled, the feeling of freedom reinvigorating him. He didn't even show any signs of pain from punching the cell door.

"Let's just write it off as cheap metal," he chuckled dismissively. "Now get out of there before someone comes to check on us," he ordered. Without hesitation, Sam joined Niko in the hallway.

"Can you break Dani out?" she asked Niko, glancing at her still imprisoned friend. Niko's smile wavered, as he looked over at the other cell.

"Unfortunately, I need some time before I can do something like that again. I might permanently hurt myself if I do stuff like that too often," he muttered. He glanced down both ends of the hallway. "No, we're going to need the keys," he concluded. Dani's eyes drooped to floor, but she remained silent.

"Where do we find those?" Iggy asked, stepping out of the cell, all while giving a concerned look at Dani. Niko dusted off his jacket, and straightened out his tentacles.

"The keys are always held by one individual. Since Jack locked us up, my bets are that he has them. We need to find him first. I know this headquarters like the back of my hand, I'll be able to track him down," Niko concluded.

"Couldn't Alex have them?" Sam asked him. Niko shook his head, turning to his younger sister.

"I highly doubt it. If I know Jack Kawasaki, then I know he's looking for a fight. He'll get one too, when I kill him without hesitation," he muttered. He reached for his weapon, but his hand twitched when he remembered that he had been disarmed. "Shit, I'm a fool for forgetting that they've disarmed us," he muttered.

"Oh no!" Iggy yelled, realizing that his custom Aerospray was also missing. Sam kept her attention on Niko, feeling a chill run up her back.

"You're going to… kill him?" Sam whispered, an icy feeling dancing on her skin as she spoke. "I mean, I know he's cruel, but that far?" she asked him. Niko narrowed his eyes at her.

"Samantha, it's kill or be killed. If you want to take the moral high ground, then you're giving up your life," he snapped. He gestured his hand to their brother. "You saw what they did to Ignacio, that ink is meant to torture you. I don't think it's wrong of me to want them dead," he argued. Sam nodded slowly, unable to counter that.

"How are we supposed to fight these people without weapons?" Iggy asked in frustration.

"That's not for you to worry about, you won't be doing any fighting anyway. Just stay close to me, I'll protect you," he ordered, as he began walking down the hallway, opposite of the main foyer. Iggy and Sam hurried after him, the former giving one last desperate look to Dani.

"We'll be back! I swear it!" Iggy whispered just loud enough so she could hear, as he turned to follow his siblings through the corridor.

"Niko, what happens if they see us out?" Sam asked softly, looking behind them to see if they were being followed. He continued walking, though darting his eyes around very observantly.

"They'll try to kill you," he said deadpanned, without even glancing at her. Sam's jaw dropped, as she scowled at him for being so calm.

"What?! Niko this is insane!" she hissed.

"Samantha, for once, please keep your mouth shut. You can complain all you want when we get out of here, just please keep quiet and stay close," he ordered. The girl reluctantly fell silent, but only because of the intense situation. Niko led them around a corner, into a longer hallway running perpendicular to the prisoner's corridor.

"It's like a castle…" Iggy said in awe, glancing around, noticing the dozens of doorways and splitting off hallways. The walls were still the familiar green marble, with the dim white orbs lining each hallway.

"Correct. SAIL's headquarters is built to resemble an ancient labyrinth. It's meant to be a maze, so if any prisoners escape, they'll be lost within the depths of the twisting corridors, Luckily, that won't happen since I'm here. But it's intriguing, they use only a fraction of the facility's interior, the rest is just empty rooms and hallways, meant to confuse those who don't know their way" Niko explained. Sam watched as he explained, it was jarring seeing him so enthusiastic about the situation. His behavior was optimistic, almost nostalgic.

"Niko, you sound like you're fond of it," Sam noted aloud. The dark inkling blinked in realization. He sighed to himself, glancing at his sister as they turned another corner.

"Well, of course I'm fond of it. This used to be a part of me, an aspect of my life that I enjoyed. I've made a lot of meaningful memories here…" Niko reminisced, as he pictured a particular girl in his mind.

"Then why did you leave?" Iggy asked him. Niko's nostalgic smile faded away completely, his usual dark gaze returning to his face.

"Because I learned the truth, and as you know, the truth hurts. You see how these people are. I was blind… but now I see SAIL for who they truly are. People who will destroy innocents without a second thought. I might not have the strongest morals, but I don't believe in SAIL's cause in the slightest," Niko ranted.

"I don't see how they can possibly get away with killing inklings who've done nothing wrong… there has to be some explanation for why they're doing this," Iggy muttered, a boy who was never satisfied until he found an answer.

"Well, there's more to it than that… but I can't bring myself to tell you. The finer details don't even matter, they're still in the wrong," Niko argued, averting his eyes from his siblings as they continued walking down the empty corridors.

"But, why can't you tell me? Niko do you even see what's going on here? What on earth is going to surprise me even more than all of this? Don't you trust me?" he complained. Sam scoffed, causing Iggy to glance at her.

"Iggy, it's no use. You should know by now that Niko is a completely illogical individual. He knows EXACTLY what's going on. He knows EXACTLY why we're here. He just won't tell you, and he won't let me tell you," Sam snapped, her frustration getting the best of her.

"You need to stop talking. Right now," Niko commanded as he stopped walking, hardly able to keep his rage dormant. Sam scowled back at him, and Iggy watched in disbelief as his siblings quarreled at a time like this.

"Guys, please… I don't need to know if it's that sensitive. I just want all of us to get home safe. Please don't fight…" Iggy pleaded, looking at Sam, and then to Niko. The two of them exchanged slightly guilty looks, and then continued walking down the corridor.

"We will get home safe, I promise you," Niko sighed, as he pressed forward.

"Not if I can help it," a familiar voice hissed. Niko's hand quickly shot up and countered the swinging barrel of Jack's blaster, inches away from his face. He quickly grabbed hold of the weapon and twisted it, causing Jack's wrists to twist as well. The attacker grunted, as Niko delivered a kick to his side, knocking him across the hallway.

"Get back!" Niko yelled at his younger siblings, who quickly obeyed. He faced Jack, who had already returned to his feet, blaster in hand.

"I'm not at all surprised you got out, in all honesty. You're quite a stubborn inkling, a predictable one at that," Jack spat, aiming his weapon at Niko's heart.

"Predict this," Niko hissed, as he instantly broke into action. Jack opened fire, but Niko had already dodged, sprinting towards Jack. The experienced Lieutenant put up his left arm to block, but the more experienced Niko juked him, darting under his arms to his right side. Niko grabbed hold of Jack's blaster and squeezed as hard as he could. It didn't take long for the weapon to crush and bend under Niko's firm grasp.

"GAH!" Jack shouted in dismay, as his weapon was rendered useless. He delivered a backslap towards Niko's face, but he caught it with his other hand, twisting his arm. Jack rammed his blaster into Niko's side, the broken metal tearing into his flesh. Iggy winced as he saw this, and Sam averted her eyes into Iggy's shoulder.

"Agh!" Niko seethed, slightly retreating back. Jack scowled at the boy, tossing his favorite blaster to the side.

"That's what you get for destroying my stuff," he growled, slowly walking towards the ailed Niko. The dark inkling managed a crazed chuckle.

"You were armed, I'm not. I was making it a fair fight," Niko mocked, regaining his posture. His blood had begun soaking his jacket and undershirt. "You know, since SAIL is so noble and all," Niko hissed with a devilish grin. Jack scowled, and threw another punch at Niko.

The two exchanged a few hits, most of them blocked by their opponent. Niko was at a higher skill level, yet he had gone a long time without proper training, leaving him at a slight disadvantage. He found an opportunity to deliver another kick to Jack's side. The operative winced and stepped back.

"A fair fight… by taking my weapon. You call that fair? You have the strongest weapon in this entire city. Maybe I should do you a favor and wake it up," Jack challenged with a sly grin. Without hesitation, Niko darted at the lieutenant once more. Jack tried to counter the attack, but Niko's rage made him too fast. He delivered a strong punch right to the side of Jack's face.

"GAHHH!" Jack screamed, as he crumpled to the floor, grabbing his face in pain. Niko towered over him, like a predator satisfied with its prey. He glanced over to his siblings, who were frozen in awe.

"That's how it's done," Niko bragged, still catching his breath. A slight chuckle escaped Jack's throat, as he groaned and writhed on the ground.

"Well, I'll be damned. Even after all these years, I still can't beat you. Good fight, Galiano," Jack admitted honestly, blood running out of his mouth. Niko scowled and kneeled down to him, grabbing him by his hoodie's collar.

"I have no time for your games you little shit. Where is the key to the girl's cell?" he demanded, giving him a firm shake. Jack coughed, more blood coming from his mouth.

"You've pummeled the wrong guy, you psychopath. The keys are with Boucher, I'm just the diversion. I'm surprised a guy like you fell for that so easily," Jack teased. Niko gritted his teeth, and delivered one last sharp kick to the inkling's side, causing him to wince. He turned back to Iggy and Sam.

"We need to find Alex. Follow me," he commanded, walking passed the nearly unconscious Jack. Both of the younger Galiano siblings kept a considerable amount of distance from the fallen lieutenant as they passed him. He looked over at them expectantly.

"What, you're not gonna kill me? What a shocker," Jack yelled at them. Niko simply continued walking down the hall, ignoring his taunts. Iggy took one last look at the boy who has terrorized him since their first encounter in the train station. He shook his head, and continued following his siblings.

"N-Niko… you're bl-bleeding!" Sam stammered, pointing at Niko's body wound. She tried to move closer to get a better look, but he twisted himself away from her and scowled.

"We have more important things to worry about right now, I'll be fine," Niko told her dismissively. Iggy glanced at his older brother in awe.

"Man… what you did back there… that was unbelievable," Iggy whispered, somehow finding himself able to smile for a second. Niko, although flattered, shook his head.

"Let's focus on the task at hand, please. We need to find the other lieutenant," he replied.

"Ugh… insane fairytale boy," Sam muttered, folding her arms. Iggy furrowed his brow, puzzled by her recent loathing of Alex.

"Um, did I miss something between you two?" Iggy asked her, recalling their previously close friendship. She glared at him like he was speaking a foreign language.

"He kidnapped us, Ignacio. I would consider that something that's happened between us," she scoffed.

"Seems like it's more than that…" Iggy muttered, averting his eyes away from her hateful gaze.

"Ignacio, don't push it," Niko intervened, as even he was getting sick of the bickering.

They finally reached the main foyer, and Niko felt himself tense up. He slowly crept between the large pillars, towards the general's throne-like chair. He signaled the others to follow, as he peeked his head out from behind the pillar. He noticed that the chair was empty. General Ace was nowhere in sight. However, Felix was pacing back and forth in front of the chair, muttering to himself.

"I think the coast is clear," Niko whispered to his siblings. All three of them peeked out again, looking around the foyer. There was nobody else in sight besides Felix.

"I figured there would be more guards…" Iggy pointed out.

"Usually, there are. But it's in the middle of the night, most operatives are asleep and I never remember being a night shift," Niko told him. He narrowed his eyes at the emptiness of the main area. "Still… it is a little suspicious. Just don't let your guard down," he commanded.

"We're going to die…" Sam muttered pessimistically.

"Shut up," Niko whispered. He then walked out from behind the pillar, Iggy and Sam soon followed. It didn't take long for Felix to notice the three of them, from which he did a double take.

"MY FRIENDS!" he yelled, with so much relief that tears appeared in his eyes. The three of them hurried towards him. The first two to embrace were Felix and Iggy, both of them giving each other a giant bear hug.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Iggy admitted with relief, his tears running down his cheeks. They pulled away after a moment, and Felix smiled and looked at the three of them.

"I'm glad you guys are okay too. I have no idea what's going on anymore, but that's okay! You guys are here!" he exclaimed with a grin a bit too wide.

"Where did the general go?" Niko asked the boy, still keeping his voice low. Felix moved his eyes to Niko, but the first thing he noticed was his still bleeding wound.

"Oh no… you're hurt! I should probably sew that up… that looks pretty severe…" Felix said worriedly, as he fumbled for his mini first aid kit. Niko waved his arms out in front of him to command him to stop.

"Kid… I mean Felix… please, I don't need that right now. I need to know where the general went," he demanded. Felix reluctantly stopped reaching for his kit.

"Ace? I have no clue… after he threatened me with Dani's life he kind of just wandered off…" Felix mumbled, his happy grin fading away.

"So you do know about Dani. They have her locked up in the cell. We need to find Lieutenant Boucher, he has the keys," Niko told him. Felix furrowed his brow, and reached into his pocket. To Niko's disbelief, Felix brought out a keyring.

"Do you mean these keys?" he asked innocently.

"F-FELIX! Where did you get those? I thought Alex had them!" Iggy exclaimed, turning towards Niko.

"Looks like Jack is still playing some sort of trick," Niko muttered.

"So… these are the keys to Dani's cell? Where is she?!" Felix demanded, a look of both urgency and excitement in his eyes. "We can free her and then get the hell out of here!" he exclaimed.

"I remember, the holding cells were that way!" Sam exclaimed, pointing at the far end of the foyer. The four of them quickly sprinted towards the cells. It wasn't long before they turned the corner, but they all froze when they saw what was waiting for them.

Alex Boucher, an Eliter 3K in hand casually standing slightly beyond Dani's holding cell, as if he were expecting them.

"Hello, my friends," he said, a distance in his voice. The four of them watched to see if was going to make any sudden moves, but he seemed to be waiting for them. After a long moment, Niko narrowed his eyes.

"What game are you playing…" he hissed, mentally formulating a plan.

"There is no game. It's simple. If I don't fight, I'll be killed for treason," Alex said, his voice devoid of emotion.

"…So be it," Niko muttered, bringing himself into a fighting stance. Sam put her hand on her brother's shoulder.

"What?! Niko! He has a top-grade charger weapon, and you have nothing! Do you honestly think that's a good idea?!" she asked, scowling at the Lieutenant she used to call her friend.

"Jack had a weapon too, and you saw how easily I bested him," Niko pointed out.

"But… you're playing right into his hands! I don't trust him!" she told him, begging for him not to fight.

"This is how it has to be, Samantha," he whispered. He nodded towards Dani's cell. "Set your friend free, run to the elevators, and get the hell out of here. I'll hold off Alex" he ordered quietly so the lieutenant wouldn't hear. Iggy slowly looked at him, with tears still in his eyes.

"What about you, Niko?" he whispered so quietly almost no sound escaped his lips. The dark inkling smiled, himself feeling a small bit of sentiment.

"I love you, brother. I love you too, Samantha. I'm sorry that I was gone for so long," he told them. Felix unlocked the cell door, and embraced his sister, all while the Galianos said their goodbyes. Alex didn't even budge.

"Niko, I won't leave your side," Iggy told him, not wanting to lose his brother.

"I'd listen to your brother, Ignacio," he urged. Iggy looked back to Sam, Felix, and Dani, all ready to make the escape. He looked at Niko one more time.

"But…" he protested.

"Ignacio, please. Go," he commanded in a stern tone. Alex saw the trouble, and aimed his Eliter 3K at the group.

"Duck," he commanded. The five targets all proceeded to heed his warning, as they all went to the floor. Alex shot a blast of gray ink right beside them, the stream of the poison landing only inches away from them. "Blast, I missed," Alex said monotonously. Niko returned his urgent glare towards his younger brother.

"Get out of here!" he screamed.

"Th-thank you, Niko… for everything," he mumbled. And with that, he gathered his friends, and sprinted towards the elevators, where they would make their escape. Niko watched them go, proud of his accomplishment. He sighed to himself, and returned his attention to Alex Boucher, a scowl appearing on his face.

"Are you gonna ditch that thing or am I going to have to snap it in half?" Niko threatened, eying the charger weapon. Without hesitation, Alex tossed it to the side. He reached into his belt and brought out a pair of daggers. He slid one of them towards Niko.

"A fair fight. That's what you wanted, right?" Alex murmured, watching Niko slowly pick up the weapon. Niko jeered at the calm lieutenant.

"What a noble piece of shit you are," Niko cackled in a sarcastic tone.

"Niko, we both know that Ace will kill me if I don't fight back," he uttered.

"Save the excuses, Boucher. I'm well aware this is all probably some trick, knowing you," Niko snapped, readying the daggers in his hands. "But I've run out of patience. If this is another one of your games, then I'll happily play it if I have a chance to kill you," he finished.

"You didn't kill Jack when you had the chance," Alex pointed out. "What happened to killing him without hesitation?" he challenged. The dark inkling's eye twitched.

"Come at me, coward," Niko challenged, ignoring his statement.

"I guess this is it then. I've learned a lot from you, Galiano. I'll never take that for granted," Alex said truthfully.

And with that, both of them sprinted towards each other.


	23. Chapter 23 - What Now?

"Hurry!" Iggy called out to the others, as he sprinted towards the elevators. He slammed his fist on the switch, and turned towards Sam, Felix, and Dani. All four of them were panting, willing for the elevator to approach sooner.

"There's still no guards…" Sam noticed, looking around the empty hallway. Something didn't feel right. It was almost too easy.

Ding.

"Come on!" Iggy yelled, boarding the familiar elevator. The twins didn't hesitate to join him in the elevator, but to their surprise, Sam didn't budge, still looking around.

"Sam, we need to go!" Felix uttered, moving his hand in front of the elevator so that it wouldn't leave her behind. She turned towards them, but remained in the hallway.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked, the feeling that something was off growing by the second. Sick of waiting, Iggy reached out and grabbed Sam's forearm. He yanked her back inside of the elevator, but with slightly too much force, causing her to topple over on top of him. Dani instantly pushed the switch to close the elevator doors.

"We made it…" Felix breathed, grinning to his friends in relief. "We're safe," he added, giving his sister a heartfelt hug. For once, she returned his gesture, happy to be with her loved ones again. Iggy shoved Sam off of himself, and returned to his feet. He pressed the button labeled with a golden eighteen.

"Wait!" Sam protested, as the elevator began its ascent. "Shouldn't we get as far away from this place as possible?" she pointed out. Iggy exhaled sharply.

"There's nowhere else to go Sam. We have to regroup and assess what the hell is going on. We probably don't have much time, but let's compromise," Iggy offered. Sam looked at him expectantly, as if she wanted further explanation. He sighed under her gaze. "How about this, let's go back to our room, figure out what's going on, and then… we go home," he finished, giving her a smile.

"Home?" she asked, her ears perking up. Iggy nodded, sliding her into a quick hug.

"Yeah… I want to get out of here. Out of this horrid city," he told her. He caught a glimpse of his friends, including Dani, who looked slightly hurt by what he said.

"You're… you're leaving?" she asked, sadness washing over her eyes. Even Felix's grin wavered slightly.

"Wait! I'm sorry guys… I almost forgot…" he said, feeling guilty for leaving out his friends. "I'm sorry… things just are really complicated right now," he admitted, scratching his arm. Felix smiled, giving Iggy a light punch.

"Don't sweat it, buddy. Considering our night, I don't blame you. Let's get back to the room, and we can figure things out from there," he said reassuringly. As if on cue, the elevator stopped at floor eighteen.

Ding.

"Sounds good," Iggy replied, stepping out of the elevator. The four teens quickly made their way to room 1884. Luckily, SAIL had not confiscated his room key; he swiped it and entered the room, holding the door so the others could enter.

"I wonder what time it is…" Felix said as he entered the Galiano's apartment. He reached for his phone, but froze when he noticed that dim light was shining through the windows. Iggy shut the door and followed his gaze, also noticing the sunlight.

"Wow… we've been up all night…" Iggy realized. Sam followed their gaze to the window.

"Really? That's strange… I don't feel tired at all," she commented.

"Me neither," Dani agreed. They all walked into the living room, each taking the nearest seat, Dani and Iggy on the Futon, Felix and Sam in their own chairs nearby. A moment of silence went by, as the young inklings assessed the entirety of the situation.

"So…" Iggy said, not sure where to start.

"Do any of you know why all this is happening? Because I sure don't. I have no clue in the slightest," Dani asked them, looking around for an answer. Iggy took her hand in his.

"I don't either, Dani," he admitted, looking at the others. "How about you guys?" he asked.

"Iggy, maybe we should tell them about Jack. Let's try to share everything we know so that we can try to make as much sense of this as possible," Sam suggested. Iggy nodded, and cleared his throat.

"Right…" he started. "Jack Kawasaki… I think that's his full name. The day we came to Inkopolis, he assaulted me and Sam. We thought it was nothing at the time, but later that day, I saw Jack again out there in the hallway," he admitted. Sam leaned forward in her chair and furrowed her brow, as Iggy hadn't told her about that part.

"He was trying to force me to come with him, but I managed to shake him off. That was the day I met Dani," he explained, trying to make it easier for them to piece together the timeline.

"Later that night, I stumbled across Jack and Alex talking to each other. I don't remember what it was about, but that's when I figured out that those two knew each other," he revealed.

"Iggy!" Sam yelled in reaction to this new bit of information. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?" she demanded.

"Because I didn't think it was important! I was stressed out!" he protested. "Please don't get mad at me, Sam. I'm finally coming clean," he said in an attempt to defend himself. Sam sighed, retreating back into her chair.

"Fine… go on," she said in defeat.

"The next day, the day I met Felix, remember when you told me to go find something to do?" he asked. All three of them nodded.

"The day you disappeared and Sam was getting worried," Felix recalled.

"Yeah, that one. Well, turns out I lied about going out to turf wars. As soon as I left the condominiums, I was ambushed by a bunch of inklings dressed in green. Now that I think about it, it was probably the same guys who captured us," he said in realization. Sam shook her head.

"SAIL…" she spat with absolute hate. "I still wish you would have told me…" she muttered, but didn't press further. Iggy tried to ignore her, shuffling his feet in order to try and concentrate.

"Anyway… I didn't really see Jack much after that. When it comes to Alex, you guys were there for all of that. I knew he was Jack's friend… but I had no idea about any of this SAIL stuff until last night. I thought Jack was just an asshole," Iggy admitted. Felix cleared his throat.

"Speaking of Jack, you all are probably wondering how I got tied up in all of this. Well, yesterday, Jack approached me while I was running errands. He told me about Team SAIL, talking about it like it was a legion of noble operatives who sought out to help make the world a better place. Obviously, he was lying about all of that, but it's my fault for letting him get the best of me," the blue inkling said quickly.

"Felix, you can't blame yourself for that," Dani remarked, shaking her head. "Based on the little that I've seen, we're dealing with some very experienced individuals," she pointed out. A grateful expression appeared on Felix's face, flattered that his twin sister defended him.

"Thanks, sis," he replied with his signature grin.

"Don't mention it, dude. I mean, think about it. Who knows what kind of mind games they are capable of playing? Just look at Alex, he's been lying to us this whole time," she muttered.

"That's for sure," Sam agreed, looking off to the side.

"Yeah…" Felix conceded, agreeing with his sister. Iggy gulped, glancing at his friends.

"Guys… let me be completely honest with you. At first? I couldn't stand Alex. I thought he was such a suck up, and seeing him with Jack made me dislike him even more. But seeing the way he was acting last night… I don't think he's a bad person. Alex Boucher is not evil, he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Iggy concluded. Sam scoffed, glaring at her naïve brother.

"That's very sweet of you, Ignacio. But you weren't there when he tried to pretend like a bunch of fairy tales were real. You weren't there when he made a fool of me in the library," she retorted.

"Sam! I don't care what he did! Do you remember what just happened? He let us escape! He cares about us," Iggy replied, trying to convince his stubborn sister to change her mind.

"Enough!" she yelled, rising from her chair. "YOU weren't there when he showed me that BOOK. You have no idea how insane he is!" she snapped.

"What book?!" Iggy yelled back in response. Sam exhaled sharply, returning to her seat.

"Our brother won't let me tell you. As insane as he is, he was really serious about me not sharing it with anyone. If you really want to know, you'll have to wait for him to come back…" she trailed off. She fought back tears as she readied her next words. "…which probably isn't going to happen," she finished.

"What? Why would you say that?" Iggy demanded. "You saw him fight against Jack! He took him out in mere minutes! There's no way Alex could top that!" he protested.

"That doesn't matter! Regardless of whether Alex loses or not, did you not see what I saw? There were NO guards, the general was NOWHERE in sight, and they gave the keys to FELIX. Do you not see what's going on here?" she yelled, looking at all of them in disappointment.

"I'm not sure I understand…" Felix admitted for all three of them. Sam pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I'm saying it was too easy! Did you hear how Niko talked about SAIL? According to him, these people aren't the type of people who let their prisoners escape, especially since they seemed to have been trying to get us for quite a while," she said, almost smirking with her cleverness.

"Oh… you're saying…" Felix mumbled, his eyes widening in realization.

"They wanted us to escape…" Iggy finished for him.

"I'm sure of it," Sam replied, massaging her forehead out of stress. "As soon as we left, Alex probably assembled every inkling in that damned cult. There's no way Niko could survive that," she whispered, her voice breaking.

Everyone fell silent after that. Both twins looked at the floor, feeling sorry for their friends. Iggy simply stared at his sister, a distressed look on his face. He stood from the futon, not saying a word, as he walked towards his bedroom.

"Where are _you_ going?" she demanded.

"I need to think!" Iggy snapped, lashing out all of his stress at her. He slammed his bedroom door shut in frustration. He violently rubbed his face with both of his hands letting out a distressed groan. His hands moved to his tentacles. He pulled the tie loose, letting his tentacles fall to the sides of his head. He lunged into his bed, as he rubbed his own head.

 _What do I do… what do I do… GAH WHAT DO I DO?!_ he screamed in his mind. He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. Niko was nineteenth floors beneath them, maybe even dead, yet Iggy was hiding in his room like a coward. He felt guilty, leaving his older brother and mentor behind.

 _There has to be something we can do…_ he thought to himself, trying to search for some sort of solution to this enormous problem. His eyes shot open when he suddenly had an idea. It was an absolutely ridiculous idea, but it was all he had.

He jumped out of bed and faced his window. He shoved the curtains out of the way, and stared out at the bustling Inkopolis. The early morning sun shone a calm orange glow across the buildings. Iggy took in all the details, glanced around at all the residents on their commute, the giant buildings, the few clouds.

"All this time… the visions have controlled me…" Iggy said to himself, feeling his familiar burning anger deep within himself. "And now, I will control the visions," he concluded. The pink inkling shut his eyes tight, and focused on every detail of the city. He remembered the fire, the chaos, the storm.

Iggy's eyes shot open. And what he saw left him in awe. He stood in the middle of Inkopolis Plaza. It worked, he had conjured up a vision. He took in the familiar surroundings, the raging flames that were scattered across buildings, the dark clouds that hung low in the sky. Not a single resident stood with him. He was once again all alone, only this time it was his willing. He heard thunder, and noticed bright lightning bolts were tearing through the sky. Suddenly, one larger bolt shot down from the sky, impacting the ground a few feet in front of him.

"Ah!" Iggy yelped, as he shielded his eyes and stepped back. After a brief moment, he slowly moved his arms away from his face, and his eyes widened when he noticed an unfamiliar figure. An older girl, seemingly the same age as Niko, stood where the lightning had struck. She was wearing a plain white dress; her tentacles were a blue so light that they were almost white as her outfit. She gazed upon Iggy with bright yellow eyes.

"Hello, Ignacio," Annabeth spoke, slowly pacing towards him. Iggy couldn't bring himself to scowl, but felt threatened by her presence.

"Who are you, and how do you know me?" he demanded, still left in awe at her angel-like appearance.

"I am called Annabeth," she said to him, continuing her slow pace, as she sized him up.

"That was one of my questions," Iggy reminded her, watching as she began to circle him.

"Ah, an impatient one. Just like your brother," she chuckled, as she walked around him.

"You know Niko?" Iggy asked in disbelief. She smiled and nodded, making eye contact with those piercing eyes of hers.

"I know more about him than you do," she said, as she continued walking around Iggy in circles. "I also know that he's losing his fight with Alex Boucher," she added, glancing at the pink inkling to see his reaction. Iggy's heart sank.

"What?! How do you know all these things? Are you omniscient or something?" Iggy demanded. That got a laugh out of the girl as she shook her head.

"I'm flattered, but no. I'm just another inkling like you. To be completely honest, you and I are very similar," she said with a mysterious smirk. Iggy raised his eyebrow still puzzled.

"Similar? How?" he asked her.

"Well, we're the only two here, right?" she pointed out, gesturing at the abandoned city. "That definitely is something special. Just like us, Ignacio. We're special, in ways that most others can't understand," she told him, making her third round.

"But I don't even understand," he argued, frustrated with her mysteriousness. Annabeth chuckled again.

"You will in due time, young one. I know quite a lot about you that you have yet to discover," she teased.

"But I don't know you…" he admitted, slightly annoyed with how she kept walking around him.

"Maybe not, but I know you," she insisted, finally stopping in the middle of the Plaza. Iggy watched every moment she made, as she faced him. "And I know you well enough to know that you're not going to let Niko die," she said to him. With that last part, she outstretched her arms out from her sides. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, like she was concentrating.

"Can you at least explain why these visions are happening?" he demanded. The girl ignored his question, when suddenly, her eyes shot open. Iggy jumped when he noticed that her eyes were glowing a yellowish white. Small lightning bolts appeared across her fingers, and she moved her arms and pointed them right at Iggy. After only a second, large electrical tendrils shot out from her arms. Iggy watched in horror as the lighting crept towards his heart. He winced as the bolts touched him, but to his surprise, he felt no pain. He opened his eyes, and realized he was back in his bedroom.

"Hey… you wanna talk?" Felix spoke softly from Iggy's bedroom door. The boy whirled around, giving a terrified look towards his friend. Felix noticed his friend's uneasiness and furrowed his brow in concern. "Oh, did I startle you?" he asked.

Iggy marched across his room as he tied his tentacles back into their original position. He walked right passed Felix, not even addressing the confused boy.

"Iggy?" Felix asked, concerned with his odd behavior. Iggy marched back into the living room, where he gazed at Sam and Dani. His sister noticed that he looked pale.

"Hey… what's up?" she asked slowly, slightly concerned. He gave her an urgent look.

"We have to go back…" he said, moving his eyes to the front door. She scoffed at his suggestion.

"What?! No! There's no way we're going back to that hellhole! NO!" she yelled. Iggy's burning anger resurged and he glared daggers at her.

"I need you to listen," he barked at her icily. "Niko is going to die if we don't go back. Like you said, it was all a trick anyway. We have to catch them off guard, otherwise, their plan to kill Niko will follow through. The longer we wait, the less likely he'll be alive. You can't convince me otherwise," he told her.

"He's right," Felix chimed in. The blue inkling walked over and joined Iggy's side, giving him a quick grin. "If Sam is right about them wanting us to escape, then we shouldn't just give them what they want!" he explained, putting his arm around Iggy's shoulder. "Besides, I owe him one anyway," he said with a smile. Iggy gave a grateful glance at his friend, then returned his attention to his sister.

"What about you? The more people we have, the better chances we have of winning," he told her.

"Well, in that case, I'll come too," Dani announced, rising from the futon. Iggy's confidence twisted into concern.

"Wait… are you sure?" Iggy asked her softly, not wanting her to return to such a dangerous environment. Dani scowled at him as she folded her arms.

"What, you think I can't take care of myself? I'll go if I want to go," she retorted.

"Oh… alright… sorry…" Iggy mumbled, guilty that he offended her. Her scowl subsided as she walked over to the boys, joining them in their huddle. Iggy looked expectantly at his sister.

"We're going back regardless. Are you in?" he asked her. She rolled her eyes and exhaled sharply.

"This is a HORRIBLE idea!" she yelled, crossing her arms. Iggy continued staring at her, hoping that she would change her mind. The young girl glanced at her brother, sighing to herself. "But I wouldn't be a Galiano if I just sat around while my brother gets himself killed," she conceded, rising from her chair. Iggy smiled victoriously, as he jogged over to Sam and gave her a big hug.

"Thank you…" he whispered.

"Alright, don't get all soft on me now, we have to ready ourselves for this, both physically and emotionally. Though, now that I think about it, I don't really see how we're going to take out an entire army empty-handed. They took your Aerospray," she pointed out. Iggy didn't seem phased by her comment,

"That's alright. I already have a plan," he told her, walking over to the front door and opening it. He turned to his friends and gave them a hopeful smile.

"Let's save the day," he said with a gleam in his eye.

"Cheesy," Felix giggled, unable to stifle a big grin. Dani gave him a shove, a smirk appearing on her face. Sam rolled her eyes at Felix, and smiled slyly at her brother, as a small glimmer of hope formed in her heart.

"Lead the way, Ignacio."


	24. Chapter 24 - Raid

"Are you going to tell us this plan of yours or not?!" Sam complained, as she followed Iggy and the others outside of Greenfield's lobby.

"Just come on! Trust me, I know what to do. Follow me!" he ordered, as he proceeded to start sprinting towards Inkopolis Plaza.

"WOOO!" Felix shouted as he began skipping down the street.

"How can you be so cheery at a time like this?!" Dani yelled out, but he was already too far to hear.

"This is still a horrible idea," Sam muttered, marching down the street after the boys. Dani raised her eyebrow at her friend, unsure if she should engage conversation.

"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" she mustered. Sam glanced at her friend and sighed, moving her own tentacles out of her face.

"I'm just worried about my brother… I hope he's still alive. That, and I'm also really reluctant to go back to that wretched place. But what am I supposed to do, let him die?" she asked rhetorically. Dani put her hand on Sam's shoulder sympathetically.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. Everything's gonna work out. I just know it," she told her reassuringly. A small smile appeared on Sam's face.

"Thanks," she replied thankfully. The girls then ran after their brothers who had already reached the plaza. When they arrived, Iggy and Felix were both waiting there for them.

"Hurry up!" Felix urged to them, as he turned to Iggy. "Alright, Mister-Save-The-Day! What do you need us to do?" he asked his friend. Iggy looked slightly irritated.

"That's a little excessive…" Iggy mumbled sheepishly.

"Don't tell us to hurry up!" Dani snapped. She turned to Iggy expectantly. "Anyways, what's the plan?" she asked, her patience running thin. Iggy smiled and pointed towards Ammo Knights.

"There," he exclaimed, as if he had revealed something extraordinary. Sam rubbed her forehead in disappointment and frustration.

"Oh yeah, what a great idea Iggy," she muttered sarcastically. "We're going to try to wipe out an entire army of psychopaths with a few ink shooters. Sounds like a plan!" she snapped, mentally scolding herself for trusting her naïve younger brother.

"Sam… knock it off," Iggy uttered, her childish and rude attitude beginning to irritate him. "You haven't even heard the whole plan yet. I told you to trust me," he muttered, staring her down. She rolled her eyes and conceded, not arguing with him further. Felix grinned.

"I TRUST YOU IGGY!" he shouted, striking a salute.

"Thank you, Felix," the pink inkling said, but quickly returned his attention to his sister. "I know what I'm doing. If you don't have anything supportive or constructive to say, then keep your mouth shut," he thundered, a familiar heat forming inside of him. "If you don't listen to me then Niko's going to die," he finished. He then turned towards Ammo Knights, and marched to the store.

"Whoa," Felix said, his eyes following his best friend. "He's really determined. He like totally roasted you," he said to Sam with a mischievous grin. The girl groaned as she quickly walked away from him without a word, to reluctantly join her younger brother. Dani glared at her twin brother.

"Felix, you seriously need to know when to quit. Do you even remember everything that's been going on? Your immature jokes may be annoying on most days, but during a time like this, they're just flat-out inappropriate and wrong," she scolded.

Felix took in a deep breath. He turned to her, and for once in his entire life, he let down the fun façade that he put up in front of everyone. His grin faded away, and he glared at Dani with an equally serious mien. Dani's scowl softened up at the sight of this.

"Danielle… somebody has to keep everyone from going insane. Somebody has to take the weight off of the horrors of life. Even if they're hated for it," he told her monotonously. He then turned to Ammo Knights and walked away from her. She blinked a few times, shocked by his sudden change in behavior.

 _Where in the world did that come from?_ She thought to herself, as she slowly began following him.

…

"Ah! Hello! Hello!" the horseshoe crab greeted all of them, as he walked towards his customers. His eyes floated to Iggy in recognition. "Ah! Iggy! I remember you! The inkling with the blue Aerospray!" he exclaimed. Iggy nodded with a slight smile.

"That's right, Sheldon. Though my friends and I would be interested in some of your finest weaponry," he told the kind shopkeeper. His eyes lit up as he glanced at all of Iggy's friends. Sam nodded at him, Felix gave two thumbs up, and Dani smiled and waved.

"AH! That's great to hear! What kind of weapon are you in the market for?" he asked, as he always does. Iggy smirked as he held up four fingers.

"I would like four Splattershot Jr.'s please," he asked nonchalantly. All of Iggy's friends gave him a stupefied look, even Felix. They were all rendered speechless as Sheldon nodded his head.

"Of course! I always have hundreds of those in stock due to all the new inklings coming in, so I could definitely provide that for all of you!" he exclaimed, walking back into his stock. "Please give me a moment while I fetch your weapons," he told them. He then walked to the back of his store.

Iggy smiled and nodded, as he patiently waited for Sheldon to come back. He glanced over at his friends, who were all staring at him with gaping mouths. He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Um… what?" he asked innocently. None of them answered, as Sheldon was already back with the four Splattershots.

"Here you are, Iggy! Will that be all for today?" he asked politely, as he set down the weapons.

"That'll be it," the inkling confirmed.

"Wonderful! Now, as the beginner weapon, the Splattershot Jr. appropriately has the capability of quickly-"

"Uh… Sheldon? Sorry to interrupt, but, we already know about this weapon and… we're kind of in a hurry," he admitted awkwardly. The horseshoe crab looked slightly disheartened that he couldn't share his knowledge, but he quickly smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course! Of course! Understood! You better get going then. That will be 4000G please," he insisted.

"Ah, right," Iggy said, before reaching for his wallet to bring out his Battle ID card. Sheldon turned towards the others.

"Your friends are very quiet!" he announced, smiling at the others. None of them replied, only continuing to stand there awkwardly as Iggy handed the merchant his card.

"Heh… don't worry about them," he chuckled dismissively, eying them all with a slight smile at how confused they looked. Sheldon completed the transaction and returned the card with a receipt, along with a large bag holding the four weapons.

"Thank you for your patronage, Iggy! I hope to see you soon!" he said happily, as he bowed to the four inklings. Iggy nodded, and without delay, walked back out into the plaza, prompting his friends to quickly follow.

"Alright," Iggy sighed, as he took in a deep breath of fresh air to regain his bearings. He turned towards the other three. "Next we need to head back-" he froze when he realized they were all still staring at him in disbelief. "…what?" he asked in slight annoyance.

"Iggy…" Dani spoke, since she didn't want Sam to be too harsh, or Felix too ridiculous. "I think we're all a bit confused, you literally just bought four beginner ink shooters. I thought you had a plan? I know you're smart enough to know that ink isn't going to stop SAIL…" she told him, keeping her voice calm.

"I _do_ have a plan!" he retorted, her calm approach failing. "You guys are clearly not trusting me! I told you that I know what I'm doing, so why can't you just be patient and trust my word?" he asked all of them. Sam exhaled sharply.

"You sound just like Niko," she said, in a bittersweet voice. "He always wanted us to trust him, yet he'd never tell us what we were getting into," she said, her tone growing more cynical as she spoke. She scowled at her younger brother. "Look where he ended up," she muttered.

"He's still alive!" Iggy protested, getting in her face. "Niko is a leader! He might have made some mistakes but he's still the one who taught us that we put family first! We look out for each other! He never taught us to have doubt and reject each other!" he yelled at her.

"He lied to us! He's the whole reason we're in this mess! Family first? He abandoned the family!" she yelled back, inches away from the scowling boy.

"For our own safety! He already explained everything and apologized! Why can't you just let the past go?" he screamed.

"Grow up!" she yelled back.

"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" Felix yelled, shoving both of the inklings away from each other. They both gave a startled look at the young boy.

"Whether Niko is a benevolent saint or a deceitful traitor, the truth is that if we don't do something soon, he'll be dead, and I KNOW that neither of you want that. So instead of arguing, which is getting us nowhere, let's go with Iggy's plan. It might seem ridiculous, but that's because we don't understand it yet. And besides, it's our only option besides giving up, and I don't know about you, but I'm not giving up," Felix proclaimed. He took a breath as the siblings digested his mini-speech.

"…thank you, Felix," Iggy whispered gratefully. He eyed his sister to see if she was willing to turn the other cheek.

"…let's go," she muttered. Everyone sighed with relief that the two siblings had stopped arguing. Felix smiled at Sam, slightly proud that she stood down.

"Okay, good. Now! Iggy! What's the next step of your master plan?" he demanded, his usual cheery attitude making a comeback. Iggy's determination returned to him as he signaled them all to follow him.

"Next stop, Greenfield. There's one more thing I need to do, and after that… we go take down SAIL," he declared, eying all of them. They all remained silent, the memory of the terrible headquarters resurging in their minds.

…

Iggy unlocked the front door to room 1884. He quickly moved inside, pulling out the four weapons and placing them all on the couch neatly. The others filed into the room one by one, each of them eying Iggy's movements in curiosity.

"Um… what are you doing?" Sam asked, as Iggy took one of the Splattershot's in his hand.

"Follow me," he said to the others, before walked into the bathroom.

"You… you want us to come into the bathroom with you?" Dani asked in confusion.

"Just hurry up!" Iggy ordered.

"Hah! I would have figured that YOU would love to follow Iggy into the bathroom!" Felix jeered with a crazed grin. She lightly slapped his cheek.

"Ew! What the hell is wrong with you?! What does that even mean?!" she demanded, all while Felix was cackling like an idiot.

"Boys…" Sam scoffed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, tell me about it," Dani muttered, giving a flustered glare at her brother, who smiled innocently back.

"Guys, come on," Iggy reminded them.

They quickly moved to the door of the bathroom, looking at him with high expectation. Iggy raised his weapon, popped open the internal tank, then moved it over the sink.

"Oh… OH!" Felix shouted in realization and in awe. Iggy smirked as he carefully turned on the faucet, causing cold water to shoot right into the weapon's fill hole.

"Are you… Whaaat how didn't I think of that?!" Dani chimed, fascinated with Iggy's idea.

"Stupid and dangerous… but clever," Sam admitted, watching her younger brother turn off the sink and sealing the cap.

"Go get the other ones!" Iggy told them. His friends, now filled with enthusiasm, quickly scurried over to the Futon. Each of them grabbed a Splattershot Jr. and returned to the bathroom to have them filled. Iggy set his full shooter on the ground nearby, as Felix handed him the next.

"This is insane, Iggy! Let's soak those assholes!" Felix exclaimed with valor.

"Well, now might be a good time to reveal the plan. Let me iterate that these are only for INTIMIDATION, we aren't there to hurt anybody, even if they want to hurt us," Iggy insisted. Dani and Sam gave him disappointed glances. Felix, however, nodded in agreement.

"I agree with Iggy. I know that they've caused us a lot of physical and emotional pain, but violence is never the answer. Only in absolute self-defense can you seriously attack these psychos, got it?" Felix proclaimed in question.

"Fine…" the girls groaned in unison, both hungry for revenge. Iggy set Felix's now filled weapon beside his, and accepted Dani's Splattershot to fill next.

"All we have to do is locate Niko, getting him out of there alive is the objective, as well as keeping us all alive, of course," Iggy said as he filled Dani's weapon. Sam exhaled sharply.

"And what are we supposed to do if Niko is being guarded by several SAIL bastards?" Sam asked in a brash tone. Iggy remained calm, not wanting to initiate another argument.

"We'll make a diversion. There's enough of us to surround them. Just play it by ear," Iggy told her, sealing the third Splattershot. He extended his hand towards her to take it. "We'll figure it out, I promise. We have to. Niko's life depends on it," he promised her. She handed over the last weapon, and Iggy smiled as he turned back towards the sink to fill it.

"You know, for a long time. I thought that we lost Niko…" Sam trailed off. Iggy turned his head to look at her as she spoke. She was smiling, looking at the floor. "When he disappeared, I was so heartbroken. I love both of my brothers so much. I never want to lose him again," she declared, looking up at Iggy. "And I never want to lose you either," she told him.

She quickly moved towards him and embraced him in a hug. At first, he was alarmed. Her mood swings were really thrashing him around emotionally, but soon enough, he happily returned the embrace, their hug taking the edge off such a stressful day.

"…I don't get it. One minute they're screaming at each other, and the next, they're in the cheesiest hug I've ever witnessed," Felix whispered to Dani.

"Shush!" she hissed, elbowing her brother for his comment. The Galiano siblings came out of their hug, and Iggy turned back towards the sink. He quickly turned off the faucet. The last Splattershot Jr. had been filled.

"Alright… it's done," Iggy told them, moving the fourth inkgun from the sink to the ground, alongside the other three. "We each have a water shooter. Which means… it's time to back to SAIL's headquarters," Iggy determined.

The rest of the inklings went pale, the thought of going back to the underground base rendering them all speechless. Even though Iggy had planned to return, he still felt extremely nervous.

"We'll be fine… as long as we stay close to each other, everything should go according to plan," he reassured them all. He picked up one of the weapons from the ground, and gestured to them to follow his lead. He walked back out into the living room, while each of the others retrieved their own Splattershot Jr.

"We're ready," Dani reported. The four of them gathered at the front door. Iggy did the honors of opening the door for everyone else. The inklings filed out into the hallway one by one. Iggy turned and gave a long look back at their condo. He exhaled slowly, before closing the door.

The four inklings remained silent as they trekked down the halls to the elevators. They were all too nervous to strike up small-talk, or even review the plan. Iggy's trembling hand reached for the elevator button, the one that would take them down. It was not long before the elevator arrived.

Ding.

The metal doors opened, to an empty elevator, waiting for them. They all silently entered, as the doors closed behind them. Iggy reached his hand to the lightning bolt button, but his hand froze.

"Wait… the access card. Dammit!" Iggy yelled, kicking the side of the elevator.

"You didn't think this part through?" Sam asked him in disbelief.

"I was nervous! I forgot!" he protested, shameful that his well-thought-out plan was being shut down.

"Guys… wait," Felix told them, reaching for his back pocket. They all turned to him as he pulled out his Battle ID card. "Last night, Jack took this from me for a bit, he told me he was 'registering me'. Maybe it works?" he suggested, handing his ID card to Iggy.

"…you're right! Jack swiped his Battle ID card when he kidnapped us!" Iggy exclaimed, taking the card. He quickly swiped it at the reader, and tried the lightning bolt button again. The button illuminated, and the elevator began its descent.

"Holy shit! It worked!" Dani exclaimed.

"You're a genius, Felix! Way to go!" Iggy chimed, patting his friend's shoulder. Felix grinned under all the appreciation, as Iggy returned his card to him. But they soon went quiet, and the smiles faded away, as they all waited in anticipation of the impending danger.

Ding.

The elevator had arrived. The metal doors opened up, and the four inklings crept out slowly and carefully, Iggy peered around the corner.

There wasn't a guard or operative in sight.

"There's nobody here!" Iggy whispered, furrowing his brow.

"Shhhh!" Sam shushed, stepping into the hallway. They all quietly exited the elevator, and not a moment later, the elevator doors slid shut. All four inklings winced, the loud sound of the elevator echoing down the halls.

"The coast is clear, it's now or never," Iggy said in a normal voice. He readied his Splattershot Jr. into a combat position, the others soon followed.

"We'll follow you!" Felix promised, readying himself mentally. And with that, Iggy began sprinting down the long hallway to the foyer, adrenaline pumping through his body.

 _Please still be alive,_ he thought to himself, as he neared the entrance of the foyer. He burst inside, and what stood before him, was four inklings.

General Ace stood farthest from him, standing there, as if he was patiently waiting for them. Left of him, was Jack Kawasaki, who seemed disinterested in the situation. His clothes and body were tattered from his fight. At his right, Alex Boucher stood. His face was expressionless, as he gazed upon the four children. And the last…

Niko was on both of his knees nearby Alex. He was breathing slowly and desperately, a completely defeated expression on his face. He looked terribly injured, large gashes on his body and face, the deep wound from his fight with Jack still left untended. Alex seemed to have little scathes from the fight. He noticed the four of them, but didn't look very happy to see them.

"Niko!" Sam shrieked, as her voice broke. Tears fell from her eyes as she readied her weapon. Iggy scowled as he felt his signature burning anger inside of him.

"Don't be so hasty, boy," Ace commanded, putting his hand up to stop them. He slowly paced in front of his underclassmen, eyeing the four inklings that stood before him. His eyes stopped on Ignacio.

"Ignacio. I see you got our message. We've been expecting you," he called out to him. Iggy felt a chill run up his back. He gripped his weapon tightly, but something was preventing him from attacking. His mind began racing. Maybe they shouldn't have come back. The general eyed him, expressionless. He signaled Iggy forward.

"Come. It's about time you and I have a talk."


	25. Chapter 25 - The Truth

"Well?" the ominous SAIL general called out, his gruff voice echoing through the foyer. Iggy briefly looked behind him, where his friends were all looking at him for guidance. He gulped, and returned his attention to General Ace.

"Let N-Niko go, or e-else," he threatened, his voice shaky. His hands were clutching his water gun so tightly that his knuckles were white.

"Or else what? Speak now, boy," Ace challenged. Iggy scowled at the older inkling, before he began marching forward. Out of the corner of his eye, Alex deployed his E-liter 3K, aiming it right at Iggy's face, causing him to freeze.

"Not another step, Galiano. Back off," he barked, in a harsh tone. Iggy eyed Alex in pure shock, the normally docile inkling's cruelty seeming so unnatural. Jack raised an eyebrow, glancing over at his colleague.

"A-Alex?! What… what's the meaning of this?!" Iggy demanded, unable to move forward out of fear. Ace chuckled, pacing towards Iggy, not minding the water-filled weapon in the boy's hands.

"It would seem that you don't know Lieutenant Boucher as much as you thought you did," Ace cooed in a condescending manner.

"You're telling me," Jack muttered, eying the other lieutenant. "Man, what's gotten into you lately?" Jack demanded, both confused and annoyed. Alex kept both his scope and his eye on Iggy.

"Kawasaki… sometimes I forget just how naïve you truly are," he retorted icily. "See, while you were busy making failed attempts at neutralizing the target, I was taking a different strategy," Alex explained. He eyed the three inklings behind Iggy, all of them watching silently, unsure how to react.

"What works better than befriending the enemy? I gained your trust, and manipulated you," Alex thundered, his kind façade now a complete stranger. "And you all fell for it," he insulted.

"…I knew it," Sam muttered, shaking her head. Alex aimed his weapon at the other Galiano.

"Would you like to say something?" he hissed. She just continued glaring at him, unaffected by his threat. But she didn't speak another word. "That's what I thought," the lieutenant teased. "It's a real shame, Samantha. If you would have listened to me, then you wouldn't have to die today," he added.

"PSYCHOPATH!" Niko screamed, anger returning to his eyes. He thrashed around violently. "YOU'RE A DISGRACE! THE ONLY ONE WILL DIE TODAY WILL BE YOU!" he threatened, scrambling to his feet.

In near light speed, Alex drew a dagger from his hilt, and launched it right towards Niko, the blade impacting him right in the abdomen. The dark inkling fell to his knees, as his sister screamed behind them. Iggy couldn't hold back his own tears. Niko began hyperventilating.

"…you… I will break you… I will…" Niko threatened weakly. In response, Alex drew his second dagger, and once again hurled it at Niko's chest. Iggy squeezed his eyes shut as he heard his older brother shriek in pain. Niko fell over onto his back, now barely breathing.

"Say another word. I dare you," Alex hissed, towering over the near-dead vigilante.

"PLEASE STOP!" Sam begged. Felix and Dani's faces were both stricken with grief. Alex eyed the intruders, remembering they were all armed. He took his E-Liter and pressed the barrel right under Niko's chin. Jack stood by, watching silently.

"Drop your weapons. Now," he commanded. There was not a hint of remorse in his eyes. All of them obeyed, the sound of multiple splattershots clanging on the ground echoing through the large halls. Iggy couldn't take his eyes off of his older brother. He felt the burning rage inside of him starting to build up, as tears continued pouring from his eyes. Ace walked right up towards him.

"It's a real shame, Ignacio," the general whispered. "But you just have to accept your fate. Give up. It's your only option," he growled, now very close to Iggy.

He was breathing heavily, both misery and rage filling his obsidian eyes. He glared up at the ruthless leader. It was now or never. Before he could think twice, Iggy pulled back his fist and delivered a punch right to Ace's face as hard as he could muster. The general stumbled back, completely disoriented as he fell to the ground, his back facing everyone in the room. Jack moved in to attack Iggy, but Alex moved in front of his colleague, blocking him.

"Get out of the way, Boucher!" he yelled.

"Shut up. And watch," Alex commanded, his eyes locked on the stunned general.

Iggy glared at Ace, who seemed truly in pain from his attack. He felt a strange feeling in his gut, as the general began to breathe extremely heavily. And then…

Laughter.

Iggy watched in horror as he began cackling. Though his voice was not his own. He was shrieking as he laughed, it almost sounded like a witch. It almost sounded… feminine.

Ace sprung from the ground, and flung his open palms towards Iggy, discharging large lightning bolts all over the foyer as he screamed in a witch-like voice. Everyone in the room stumbled back, completely disoriented as the lightning bounced around the room. Iggy shielded his eyes.

After a brief second, he looked around. Everybody was breathing heavily, but nobody seemed to have been struck. He noticed that Felix, Dani, and Sam, were all staring at something behind him. He noticed that Jack's jaw was dropped, and Alex had a hint of a smile on his face. Iggy turned to see what they were all gawking at.

Iggy froze when he turned around. Standing where the Ace once stood, was the most beautiful inkling girl he had ever seen. Her tentacles were as white as snow, with the slightest hint of blue. She was wearing a plain white dress. A familiar face.

"Annabeth," Iggy whispered, in awe. Niko had his eyes locked on the girl, completely blown away. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but nothing could escape his lips. His face was full of sorrow and dread.

"…WHAT?!" Jack screamed, glaring at Alex. The lime inkling ignored the protest, as a full smile appeared on his face.

"Lady Annabeth… General Ace of The Security of Ancient Inkarnate Legends, Alpha Branch. Formally known… as Annabeth Ace, the host of the Fulgurus, the inkarnate of weather and lightning," Alex whispered, as if he was delighted to see her.

"…you…" Iggy whispered, scowling at the girl. She calmly eyed the boy, curious as to what he was going to say. "I saw you in my dream…" he murmured, unsure how to react. Before she could respond, Jack Kawasaki retorted.

"…WHAT?!" he echoed. "ACE… IS… ANNABETH?!" he roared, clutching his temples. "I thought you were dead! Why didn't you tell me?!" He demanded, genuinely hurt. "…AND YOU'RE AN INKARNATE? WE'RE SUPPOSED TO KILL INKARNATES!" he screamed, even more confused. He then realized, his colleague wasn't fazed by this news. "…you knew about this? And you didn't tell me either?!" he demanded. "WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?" he screamed. Alex responded by forcefully shoving him to the ground.

"Silence," he ordered, glaring down at him.

"…SILENCE?! I'm the same rank as you! How dare you talk to me like that! You betrayed me!" Jack yelled, slowly starting to panic.

"Oh, Jack," Annabeth cooed, her once gruff voice now gone to reveal her usual soothing voice. "You always thought you were the better Lieutenant," she spat, slowly pacing towards them. "When really… you were always the failure. The biggest failure in SAIL history," she whispered coldly. Alex grabbed his E-Liter and pressed the barrel against his cheek.

"I'm not afraid of you!" he protested. He slapped the barrel away, knocking the charger out of his hands completely. Alex smiled down at the Lieutenant; a murderous stare.

"Maybe you should be," he whispered. He took a deep breath, then exhaled into the air. A cold frost moved out of his mouth, bringing the temperature in the room down. Everyone watched in shock and confusion.

"What in the…" Jack whispered. A devilish grin appeared on Annabeth's face.

"Alex… Lieutenant Boucher of The Security of Ancient Inkarnate Legends, Alpha Branch. Formally known… as Alexander Boucher, the host of the Glacies, the inkarnate of ice and snow," she whispered. Jack blinked.

"…are you… YOU'RE AN INKARNATE TOO?! WHAT?!" he screamed, now legitimately afraid. Alex stopped blowing frost and glared down at Jack, with a crazed grin.

"What's wrong, Kawasaki? Scared?" he asked. He then began kicking Jack, over and over again.

"Ow… OW! STOP! PLEASE!" he protested, as Alex continued beating him. He kicked his sides, his head, his face. Jack began crying, blood beginning to pour from his lips and nose.

"…stop…" a voice mumbled from behind them. Alex stopped, and looked up to see that Iggy had said it. Annabeth glared at the boy, a smile still on her face.

"Ah… right. We got so caught up with this failure, that we forgot our original mission," she said to Alex, pacing over to Iggy. "You're quite brave to attack me earlier," she commended, eyeing him. "But then again… is there really any difference between bravery and stupidity?" she asked rhetorically. She then delivered a swift kick to Iggy's knees.

"AH!" he shrieked, falling to the ground. Annabeth turned towards Iggy's sister and friends.

"Any word out of EITHER of you, I'll slit their throats," she threatened, pointing at the Galiano brothers. They all stood there frozen, helplessly watching the horrors before them. She then turned to Alex.

"Lieutenant Boucher… we shall prolong this no more. It's time," she told him. The inkling silently nodded. He paced over to Niko, and grabbed his jacket by the collar. Niko mumbled, half-conscious, as Alex dragged him across the floor towards Iggy and Annabeth.

"Let him go!" Iggy begged, his voice sounding like a helpless young child. Annabeth stared down at her ex, unimpressed by his half-conscious state. She reached her hand down and touched her hand to one of Alex's daggers, still lodged in the inkling's chest. Small sparks of lightning danced on her fingers, and traveled into the blade.

"GAH!" Niko screamed, as he doubled forward. She had shocked him awake.

"Pleasure of you to join us," Annabeth said sarcastically. Niko glared weakly at the girl.

"All this time… how could you do this…?" he demanded, completely spirit-broken. Annabeth rolled her eyes impatiently, and signaled Alex. In response, the lieutenant sharply kicked Niko's back, causing him to yelp.

"We don't have time for this," she scolded.

"Ughn… why am I still alive? Just hurry up and kill me already," he muttered. He wouldn't meet eyes with Iggy, for if he did, he would break down completely.

"Niko…" Iggy mumbled, tearing up again. He was devastated that his role model had completely given up hope. Annabeth gestured his hand towards his brother.

"You're not getting out that easily, you still have one last assignment for Team SAIL," she reminded him. He reluctantly looked up at Iggy, who was staring at him with concern. "You're going to awaken him," she added.

"No… absolutely not. No," Niko told her, shaking his head. "Go ahead and kill me. I will not be held responsible," he uttered.

"Oh you will," she hissed. She then uppercut the back of Niko's head causing him to nearly pass out.

"OW!" he yelped.

"Say it," Annabeth commanded.

"No," Niko replied. She scowled, signaling Alex to kick him in the back.

"AHHH!" he screamed, the pain nearly driving him mad.

"SAY IT!" she demanded, her voice filled with fury.

"NO!" he retorted, his stubbornness stronger than hers. She punched him in the face, right at a cut from his fight with Alex.

"PLEASE STOP!" Iggy shrieked, bawling uncontrollably. Sam looked away, Felix and Dani hugged her tight as they all averted their eyes, all of them crying in their embrace. Niko glared up at the attackers.

"You… ughn… you can do this all you want… I'll die before I say it…" he promised. Annabeth thought for a moment. Her eyes then lit up, like she had an excellent idea pop into her head.

"Well… if we can't beat it out of _you…_ " she started, moving her gaze to Iggy. "Boucher, let's show our little party trick to Ignacio here," she told him. Alex got a gleam in his eye, as he moved over to Iggy.

"What are you… AHHHHH!" Iggy screamed as Alex firmly grabbed ahold of him. Niko began to panic.

"DON'T YOU DARE!" he screamed. Iggy wriggled in Alex's hands helplessly.

"IT'S COLD," he shrieked. Annabeth gazed devilishly at the boy.

"We start by lowering the body temperature…" she told Niko. He was shaking his head furiously, he covered his ears to try and ignore her.

"…then, I send light shocks through his body…" she added. She reached her hands towards Iggy's chest, and dug her fingernails into his abdomen.

"Ahhh!" Iggy screamed, as she began to shock him.

"STOP!" Niko begged.

"…and it makes the perfect chemical reaction with his ink…" she whispered, continuing to shock the helpless boy. Niko watched in horror, as Iggy's pink tentacles slowly began fading and darkening.

"Say it," Annabeth told him again.

"I… I…!" Niko stuttered, losing his self-control. Iggy's tentacles had darkened completely, matching Niko's jet-black tentacles.

"IT HURTS!" he shrieked, unaware of his physical change.

"Say it," Annabeth repeated one last time.

A single tear fell from Niko's eyes.

He slowly looked up at his brother.

The world seemed to move in slow motion.

 _I'm sorry… Ignacio…_ he thought to himself.

He raised his eyes to the ceiling, and opened his mouth.

"IGNEOUS!" he shouted as loud as he could muster.

Immediately, Iggy's body fell to the ground. He was unconscious. Alex and Annabeth quickly backed away, as Iggy's body began to quake. Niko scrambled away with the rest of his strength, crying to himself in shame. Sam, Dani, and Felix all turned to look at their friend, who was seizing on the floor. The temperature in the room began to increase at an alarming rate, and Iggy's body began to glow. His eyes suddenly shot open, glowing like bright headlights. They were no longer obsidian black, but glowed the color of molten lava. His body burst into flames, causing a shriek from his older sister. But to her surprise, Iggy stood up. He eyed his surroundings with his glowing irises. He noticed the fire dancing all over his body. But he did not panic. He eyed the flames in curiosity, completely in awe. After a few seconds, the flames slowly dissipated, and the glow in his eyes faded away. His clothes were blackened and charred, and his tentacles were still jet black. He looked at everyone around him, noticing that they were all staring at him in shock.

"…uh… why are you all looking at me like that?" he asked, his voice hoarse from screaming. Annabeth slowly approached him.

"Iggy…the third born of the Galiano family. Formally known… as Ignacio Galiano, the host of the Igneous, the inkarnate of fire and rage," she announced. He turned to her.

"…what?" he asked in utter shock.

"It's quite complicated, young one. But to put it simply, you possess the power of an ancient being. So do I, and so does Lieutenant Boucher. And many, many more," she explained. Iggy looked at her like she was insane.

"I'm… an inkarnate?" he asked meekly.

"You are," she responded, but her smile of appreciation faded away. "However… that also makes you an extremely dangerous entity, which means we have to do our jobs by neutralizing you," she explained.

"…but you're both inkarnates! How does that make any sense?!" he demanded. Annabeth sighed, pacing towards her large chair at the back of the foyer.

"Well that's why SAIL exists, Ignacio," she told him. "If I get rid of all the inkarnates, then nothing is powerful enough to stop me from ruling all of Inkopolis," she explained. Iggy got a sick feeling in his gut.

"That's genocide…" Iggy mumbled.

"Incorrect. We don't kill any of them. If we kill an inkarnate host, then a new host will take its place. That's where Lieutenant Boucher comes in," she explained. Iggy glanced at his traitorous friend, Alex. The boy smiled evilly, and sprinkled snowflakes from his fingers.

"…what do you mean?" Iggy asked, returning his gaze to Annabeth. She clicked a button on her large chair. A loud rumbling sound came from the back wall behind her. Iggy noticed the wall was sliding away, revealing a hidden section behind her.

Iggy's heart stopped when he realized what he saw. As the wall slid away, it revealed large ice blocks, each of them consisting of a panicked inkling. There were dozens and dozens of them, each of them frozen in their own block of ice.

"We keep the hosts cryogenically frozen, that way they can't regenerate. They're all still alive," she explained. Iggy couldn't move, he was completely speechless and horrified. "And that's that," she finished, eyeing him, waiting for his response.

"…what h-happens n-now?" he stammered. Annabeth smiled, a genuine, innocent smile.

"Take it in, Ignacio. Say goodbye to your friends and your siblings. And join your kind," she thundered. She signaled Alex, who slowly began to approach Iggy.

"N-No… p-please…" he begged, as ice appeared in Alex's hands. Iggy squeezed his eyes shut, waiting to be frozen solid.

"Hey kid…" a voice spoke weakly. Iggy's eyes opened. Jack was standing behind Alex, and before either of them could react, Jack slammed a dagger right into Alex's back.

"GAHHH!" the lieutenant screamed in pain and fury, mortified that he was caught off guard. Jack smiled at Iggy, a tear falling down his cheek.

"…don't let me regret that… hero…" he whispered. Alex formed a large icicle and shoved it right into Jack's heart, piercing through his body. The boy crumpled to the floor, as the life left his eyes. Alex fell to his knees, stunned by his injury.

"EVIL TRAITOR!" Annabeth screamed at Jack, as she began sprinting towards Iggy. Adrenaline caused Niko to jump up from the ground, ready for his last stand.

"IGGY! FIRE!" Niko screamed. Iggy spun around, and looked at his brother in confusion and panic.

"FIRE FIRE FIRE!" he yelled out again. Iggy blinked, as he got the message. Annabeth was closing in, and Iggy quickly extended his hands forward, and willed for fire.

"HAAA!" He screamed as a ball of flames materialized out of his hands, shooting right at Annabeth. The girl tried to evade, but doing so caused her to faceplant into the marble floor. Iggy looked at his hands, in awe of his own abilities.

"NOW'S OUR CHANCE!" Niko screamed. He grabbed ahold of Iggy's arm and pulled him towards the exit. Sam, Dani, and Felix all sprang into action, and grabbed their splattershots off the ground.

"GET BACK HERE!" Annabeth wailed, scrambling to her feet. Iggy quickly sent a smaller fireball towards her, missing her completely, but crashing into the wall of frozen inkarnates behind her.

"NOOO!" she protested. The five inklings sprinted down the hall towards the exit.

"IGGY CAN SHOOT FIRE?!" Felix asked in shock. Nobody answered him, as they reached the elevators. Niko repeatedly slammed his fist on the up arrow, watching to see if anyone had caught up with them. Annabeth scrambled for her chair, and grabbed a radio device nearby it.

"CALLING ALL OPERATIVES! THIS IS A CODE RED! PURSUE THE ENEMIES AND KILL THEM ALL!" she screamed into the transmitter.

Ding.

The metal doors slid open, and not a second went by before they all lunged into the elevator. Niko slammed the button to close the door, and they all watched as the doors slowly slid shut.


	26. Chapter 26 - Superpowers

Ding.

The five inklings barreled out of the elevator in a panic. Iggy and Felix both had an arm around Niko to support him, as he was barely able to walk.

"Hurry!" Sam uttered, gesturing down the hall. Dani glanced towards the lobby and shook her head.

"We'll make a scene if we go that way!" she pointed out. Felix and Iggy desperately looked around for an alternate route.

"Here!" Felix announced, pointing towards a door that seemingly led outside. Dani quickly jogged over, the rest of them struggling to follow. Upon further inspection, she noticed that it was an emergency exit.

"Well… I guess this counts as an emergency…" she groaned, and proceeded to use her shoulder to bash open the heavy door. Immediately, sirens began blaring.

"Run!" Sam shouted, helping the boys in their escape. They all bolted out from the condominiums, running as fast as they could.

"Where do we go now?!" Sam demanded as they were running away with no clear destination.

"…keep going… towards the plaza…" Niko said weakly. He glanced at his younger brother. "Do you remember… the bunker?" he asked. A gleam of realization shined in Iggy's eyes. He nodded and quickly began leading the way to the plaza, still supporting his mortally wounded brother.

"Well, you heard the man. Come on!" Felix shouted back at the girls. They quickly followed, and for once, Sam didn't question anyone's motives. The five children got many disturbed looks by passing civilians. Dani noticed this, and remembered all of Iggy's clothes were charred black, and Niko was soaked with his own blood with two large knives sticking out of him.

"Guys… we need to be more discreet. Look at us! Somebody might call the authorities if we're not careful!" she muttered in a quiet voice. Residents began whispering amongst themselves. Some even shrieked and quickly moved away from them at the sight of Niko's injuries.

"Right…" Felix agreed, scanning the area.

"That way," Niko mumbled, pointing down a nearby alley. They all shifted left, moving into the alley, where there weren't any civilians gawking at them. They continued heading to the plaza, hopping over broken bits of glass and large bags of garbage.

"Won't people see us in the plaza?" Sam demanded as they kept running.

"We're not going to the plaza… we're going to my home," Niko revealed. Sam eyed him nervously. It had slipped her mind that he had been living somewhere before he moved in with them.

"…you have a house?" she asked as they neared the west side of the Plaza. Niko didn't answer, partially because he couldn't be bothered, but also, he was so weak he could hardly even muster the strength to respond. Iggy guided them along the west end of the plaza, they were directly behind the buildings that made up Booyah Base.

"Whoa… being back here is weird. It's so… bare," Felix pointed out. He could faintly hear the crowd and music emanating from the plaza, but the large buildings almost blocked it out entirely. They reached the clearing nearby the tower, and the entrance to Niko's bunker was nearly a few feet away.

"There," Niko announced, pointing at the nearby porta-potty.

"Um… need to take a leak?" Felix asked.

"That's my base," Niko told them. Felix's expression was a mix of happiness and confusion.

"You mean to tell me that you live in a toilet?" Felix asked, with a slight grin. Niko glared at the boy with a stupefied mien.

"Kid, if we don't hurry I'm going to bleed to death. Just accept it and let's go!" he ordered, though he was hardly intimidating with his weak yell.

"…okay," Felix conceded, respecting the situation enough not to press the joke further. The five of them approached the porta-potty, waiting for Niko's further instruction. He managed to move away from the two boys helping him, as he grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, revealing a large grate.

"Everybody in," Niko ordered.

"Wait!" Felix abruptly exclaimed. Niko turned around impatiently. Felix became slightly self-conscious under everyone's attention.

"Um… I kinda need to use the bathroom…" he mumbled.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…" Sam seethed, putting her hand on her forehead.

"Seriously?" Dani asked with a hateful glare towards her brother.

"…I'm gonna pretend like I didn't hear that," Niko muttered, transforming into a black squid and slipping through the grate. Iggy immediately followed, and both girls were just shaking their heads.

"Oh, come on! Sue me for trying to lighten the mood!" he protested, unable to suppress his grin. Sam transformed into a magenta squid and slithered towards the grate. Felix grinned. "I'll go right now!" he exclaimed, waddling over to her.

"EEK! NO!" she screamed, quickly sinking into the grate. Felix cackled with laughter, nearly falling over. Dani just looked at him with disgust.

"…I'm not even going to try at this point," Dani muttered. She turned into a little blue squid and followed after the others. Felix chuckled to himself, but didn't wait long before he followed the rest of them.

…

Iggy immediately transformed back into his humanoid form; Niko did the same as he trudged over to the back wall illuminated under the dim light. He activated a few commands in his computer, and not long after, the others had rematerialized behind them. All of them gawked in amazement at the hidden bunker.

"Best toilet-base ever…" Felix whispered in awe. Suddenly, the hidden door to the bedroom opened up, and Niko immediately started making his way over, barely able to hold himself up against the walls. Iggy walked over to help him, but was startled when Niko basically fell over into his arms, hardly supporting himself at all.

"Medical supplies are in the bottom drawer by the computer… now get me in bed," he demanded with the last of his energy. Felix's instincts took over, as he quickly advanced towards the dark inkling, his bubbly and silly personality dropping away. Sam followed the boys while they nearly dragged Niko into the bedroom. Dani watched them with concern.

"Dani, I need you to grab the supply kit from the drawer," Felix commanded he and Iggy settled Niko's limp body onto the bed. Dani nodded and quickly moved back into the other room. Felix reached into his pocket and pulled out a small red pouch, and handed it to Sam. "Sam I want you to clean the smaller wounds on his arms and face. Iggy, carefully take off his jacket, boots, and jeans."

Both inklings nodded as their heard their assignments, and got straight to work. Dani came back with a large medical kit, and handed it right to Felix. The blue inkling opened up the kit, where there was a variety of advanced medical tools. Felix recognized most of them, however, he wasn't experienced with most of it. He began searching through it, picking a few things out every once in a while.

Niko assisted Iggy in carefully taking off his Black Inky Rider, making sure the fabric didn't slide across any of his wounds. Iggy then untied Niko's boots, and then pulled off his tattered jeans, leaving him in just a t-shirt and undergarments. Sam lightly dabbed a small cloth with ointment on the gash on Niko's face, cleaning out the dried blood and dirt.

Felix set aside the kit with the remaining materials he didn't plan on using, and set down a stitching set on the bedside table. He gazed at the kit for a moment. He seemed distraught. Dani caught his gaze.

"Everything okay?" she asked him, concerned. He shook himself a bit, he seemed to be trying very hard not to have a panic attack.

"Yeah… I'm fine. I just… haven't stitched up a real injury before…" he admitted, both self-conscious and afraid of potentially hurting Niko even more. Sam looked at him, slightly alarmed.

"Wait… then are you sure doing that is a good idea?" she asked him, concerned for her brother's safety. Niko eyed his younger sister.

"Samantha… if he doesn't try… I'll die…" Niko mumbled. He grabbed ahold of the bottom of his T-shirt, and carefully tore it off from the loose stitching, wincing from the pain. He revealed his bare torso, and Sam felt her heart climb into her throat as she gazed upon his body.

It was bruised, scathed, and there were marks all over him. But the part that scared her most, were the three deadly wounds. One jagged slice, from Jack's broken blaster, near his stomach, and above that, Alex's daggers, which were still lodged in his chest.

"H-How are you g-going to get th-those out?" Sam. asked, her hands trembling as she pointed at the daggers. Felix leaned in to inspect them.

"…they don't appear to be serrated. It will still hurt but it shouldn't cause extra damage… but I'll need to act fast to stop the blood," he told her. He took a deep breath, and then glanced at his patient. "Niko… are you ready for this?" he asked, though he also was asking himself the question. The boy weakly nodded, and grabbed the edges of the bed.

"I'm ready…" he whispered, trying not to let his voice break. Dani decided to leave the room, and Sam averted her eyes as she plugged her ears with her fingers. Iggy watched silently, pain in his eyes. But he couldn't bring himself to look away. Felix readied himself. He took his shaky hands and grabbed the hilt of the first dagger.

"…Three… two… one…"

Felix tugged the knife from Niko's chest.

"AHHHHHH!" Niko wailed as he dug his fingers into the mattress. Felix quickly set the blade on the bedside table, and moved his hands to the second dagger.

"…Th-three… t-two… o-one…"

Felix brought out the second knife.

"GAHHH! OWWW!" Niko cried, his breathing picking up the pace. Felix quickly moved the freed blade alongside the other one, and returned to his patient.

"You have to keep your breathing under control. This is the most important part. Breathe. Try to Relax. Breathe," Felix uttered in a calming tone, once again speaking to mostly himself. Niko tried to slow his breathing, taking deep breaths. His wounds were leaking black blood again, and Felix was working quickly. He used multiple methods to keep the bleeding at bay, while he applied numbing cream all around the edges of both cuts, as well as the third gash. Sam turned around and clutched Niko's hand.

"Everything's going to be alright!" she assured. Felix lifted his head up, and scanned around the room.

"I'm about to start the stitching process… and for that reason, I need as few people in the room as possible. Sam, you stay, keep Niko calm and keep talking to a minimum. Iggy? I need you in the other room. I'll let you know when I'm done," he ordered. Iggy took a moment to process that, and then nodded in cooperation. He left the room without further delay.

He walked back into the main room, where Dani was waiting, looking around curiously and trying to distract herself from what was going on in the bedroom. After a moment, her eyes stopped on Iggy, who simply just stared back at her. Her heart filled with sympathy the moment she saw his expression. He was so full of despair. She hated it. Iggy's smile was one of her favorite things about him, and seeing him in such a horrible state broke her heart.

"…Iggy… you haven't said a single word… since we escaped… are you…" she could hardly speak. She was on the verge of having a mental breakdown but she had to stay strong for him. She had to stay strong for everyone. She swallowed her own problems, and focused back on him. "…Are you okay?!" she blurted, wanting to hug him so badly.

"Dani…" he finally spoke. His voice was metallic, devoid of happiness and hope. He lifted his hands and stared at them. Suddenly, a small flame materialized on each of his fingertips. Dani felt herself jump, but she forced herself to remain calm, for Iggy's sake. He simply stared at the fire for a moment, before a tear rolled down his cheek. He raised his eyes to hers. "…Am I a monster?" he asked, his voice sounding like a helpless child.

Dani nearly broke as she ran towards him. Iggy's flames went out before she embraced him in a big hug, which he immediately returned. They stood there in an embrace, just crying with each other. Iggy felt the warmth of her soothing him, calming his nerves. Dani felt protected in his arms.

"I love you…" she whispered to him, not letting go of his body. She moved her head back slightly to look him in the eyes. "And you're not a monster… you're a good person. You care a lot about other people, monsters don't," she told him. A look of relief washed over Iggy's face, her grace calming his nerves and easing his stress.

"I… I love you too… thanks…" he murmured, blushing from those words. Dani smiled softly, as she kept staring at him intently. She felt her heart rate increasing, and she mentally debated something for a moment.

Without thinking any longer, she leaned into him, and their lips met. She lifted her arm from around his back and moved her hand to his cheek. It was so warm, she felt her whole body fluttering about. Iggy pulled away, smiling, his face still red.

"Heh… that definitely helps on the worst day of my life," he told her, slightly chuckling even. She started giggling with him.

"You're good at that by the way," she told him with a sly smirk. He smiled innocently.

"Eheh… um… I practice…" he admitted, his voice cracking. She got a glint in her eyes as she marveled in Iggy's embarrassment. She couldn't help but giggle uncontrollably at the mental picture of him practicing kissing on his hand or a pillow.

"Are you serious, dude?! That's hilarious!" she exclaimed, laughing still.

"Whatever!" he retorted, but couldn't help smiling back at her.

"You're something special, Iggy. And I'm not even talking about weird fire superpowers…" she told him. He looked away, as if something was on his mind. She instantly felt guilty.

"Whoa… hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to… sorry…" she muttered, scolding her own stupidity. Iggy shook his head.

"No, no… you're okay. I actually was just thinking about what just happened… we were laughing together, at a time like this…" he pointed out, still looking off into space. Dani tilted her head sideways.

"Oh… do you think that's disrespectful or something?" she asked him. Again, he shook his head.

"Actually… no. I was thinking about Felix…" he admitted. That caught Dani off guard.

"What about Felix?" she asked, trying to not sound angry, since she was still terribly upset with him for his immaturity.

"I get his thing now… always being silly, always making laughter out of everything. I think without it… both him and all the people around him would become overwhelmed with life's darkness. He keeps us all from falling apart…" Iggy told her.

"Huh… I guess when you put it that way… it makes sense…" she said softly, joining him in looking off into the distance. A part of her felt guilty. Sometimes, in hindsight, she was a bit too harsh on him. She glanced into the other room in curiosity.

The young inkling was concentrating on his patient, moving ever so carefully and slowly. He was currently stitching up the wound from Jack's fight. Dani winced as she witnessed him slowly pulling on the string, and even from far away she could see Niko tense up. She returned her attention on Iggy.

"Maybe I should try to be nicer to him… he is my brother after all… and he's done a lot for me," she admitted, suddenly feeling a lot guiltier than before. "And plus… we don't really know the extent of how he ended up with those psychopaths…" she added. Iggy raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? Team SAIL?" he asked for clarification. Dani nodded glumly.

"Yeah… and what I mean is, what if they… _changed_ him? Sam has told me you love research, so I willing to bet you're aware that organizations like SAIL do some really dodgy things…" she said, shuddering slightly. "What if they tortured him or brainwashed him?" she asked, her voice breaking.

"I know it's hard… but you need to try not to think that way. Don't do that to yourself," he assured, taking her hand in his. She peered over to him with a lost expression. He squeezed her hand firmly. "Listen… we've all went through a lot in the last few days. I'm expecting a lot of post-traumatic stress for all of us. I may have only known him for hardly a week, but Felix has a strong heart. He'll be okay," he reassured her.

"…I'm glad you think so," she replied, laying her head down on Iggy's arm. "And I should be a better sister to him," she determined in a whisper.

For a while, Iggy and Dani stood there silently together, appreciating each other's comfort and embrace. Dani was pondering her treatment of her brother, and Iggy was contemplating all the new aspects of himself that were recently brought to his knowledge.

"I still can't believe everything… about me," he mumbled. He thought about the fireball that he just willed out of nowhere back at the headquarters. "Fire and rage? Why those? It sounds… evil…" he whispered, putting emphasis on that last word. Dani rubbed his shoulders.

"Hey, don't think of it like that. Think of it like… like you have superpowers!" she exclaimed, exaggerating excitement in her eyes. Iggy smiled softly, leaning in closer.

"Heh… I guess… I'm surprised how calm you are about it all though," he pointed out. She laughed.

"Oh, believe me, I am completely traumatized. But hey, there's such thing as superpowers? I can't be too surprised. Like, come on, it's like the biggest cliché at this point," she told him with a smirk. Iggy laughed in surprise.

"Hahaha, really? That's some interesting logic," he told her. She shrugged her shoulders.

Suddenly, Iggy heard footsteps approaching them from the other room. They both glanced in the direction of the sound, to see both Sam and Felix approaching them. The lights were off in Niko's bedroom, and the door was very slightly open. Felix looked down, and noticed Iggy and Dani' hands clasped together, and it didn't take long for Sam to catch on. They all sort of froze, each of them gazing at each other.

"Oh… so this is legit now? You two?" Felix asked, surprisingly without a grin or snicker. His tone was genuine and calm.

"Um… I uh…" Iggy mumbled, unsure of how to answer the question _Are we legit?_ he mentally asked himself.

"Yes," Dani answered for him.

"Called it," Sam chimed monotonously.

"How's Niko?" Iggy asked, desperately trying to avoid getting teased. Felix rubbed his chin, evaluating Niko's potential recovery.

"Surprisingly… he's doing better than I would expect. I patched up all of his major wounds, and he's now resting," Felix reported. Everybody else in the room collectively sighed with relief.

"That's great… he really is the toughest inkling I've ever met…" Iggy admitted. Felix nodded.

"Mhmm. Sam was a great help at keeping calm. Couldn't have done it without her," he complimented, looking over at the older girl.

"Oh, don't give me all the credit!" she scolded. She turned her gaze to Dani and Iggy. "Felix is a freaking hero. A 14-year-old? Performing critical surgery without practice on a live patient? That's incredible!" she said to them in appreciation of her friend. Felix blushed, and obviously looked uncomfortable.

"Um… let's not have a compliment fest. Too cheesy!" he protested, his signature grin returning to his face. "Anyway… all Niko needs now is rest. The more the better. It'll speed up his recovery," he reported, gesturing into the dark bedroom.

"Sounds good," Iggy replied. After that, they all fell into awkward silence.

"Um… what are _we_ supposed to do?" Dani asked.

"Right… none of has have slept in over 24 hours… our bodies won't heal either unless we get proper rest. Iggy, you especially suffered a lot of pain, do you need any care first-aid wise?" he offered. Iggy gulped, it seemed that everyone was avoiding the elephant in the room, the inkarnate.

"I'll be okay," he insisted, trying to forget the feeling of that despicable gray ink.

"But… we can't go back to Greenfield. That's suicide!" Dani exclaimed. Felix rubbed his temples, thinking of any sort of plan.

"Well… then maybe-"

He was cut off by a mini earthquake. The inklings nearly all lost their balance as the bunker shook for a moment.

"What the hell was that?!" Sam demanded.

"Shhhh!" Felix ordered, not moving a muscle. "I heard something…" he whispered. They all remained silent, as they all listened for the sound he spoke of. Then they heard it.

Screaming.

"Something's happening on the surface!" Dani blurted. Without delay, Iggy jogged over to the ladder exit, not checking if anyone was following him.

…

The inkarnate host rematerialized into his humanoid form, looking around in a panic. He could see the Plaza on the other side of the fence obscuring the porta-potty from view. Citizens were running around in a panic, most likely from whatever caused the earthquake. Iggy gazed up into the sky to see something that made his heart skip a beat. Low, dark storm clouds raged above the city, casting the plaza in an ominous dim gray. An occasional lightning strike lit up the dark sky. The wind was more powerful than usual. He recognized this sight instantly.

 _I'm having another episode…_ he thought to himself, forcing himself to calm his nerves. But something felt off. In his visions, usually he was alone. But this time, citizens were still running around in a chaos. He continued waiting, his anxiety building, waiting for the fire to consume him like it always did. But then he remembered something.

Once again, he raised his hands to look at them. After willing it, the flames reappeared on his fingertips. Suddenly, he felt a surge of realization. At that moment, everything started to make sense to him.

The fire.

The visions.

The chaos in the city.

"Premonition…" he whispered to himself.

He snuffed out the flames and returned his eyes to the sky. He realized that it wasn't going to go away this time. The time had finally come.

He was finally living his nightmare.


	27. Chapter 27 - Evacuate

Iggy's heart rate began to increase at an alarming rate as he looked around, nearly paralyzed by the calamity that was surrounding the city.

"What the hell?! What's happening?!" A voice shouted from behind him. Iggy whirled around to see Sam, who had rematerialized from out of the bunker and was staring at him, sheer panic in her eyes.

"I have a feeling… something catastrophic," Iggy replied, his voice shaky. Sam walked over to him, her eyes locked on the raging storm clouds. Seconds later, Dani emerged from the bunker, followed by Felix. Both of their faces were stricken with terror at the sight of the dire circumstances.

"Holy… Iggy what happened?!" Dani demanded. Before Iggy could answer, a lightning bolt struck the ground only a few feet away from them, causing the ground to shake again.

"AHHHHHH!" they all collectively screamed, as they all fell to the ground in a panic. Iggy was the first one to return to his feet, looking towards his friends.

"That girl… Annabeth. This has something to do with her. I'm almost positive of it," he declared.

"You mean that crazy but beautiful lightning wizard lady?" Felix asked for clarification. Iggy nodded, as he helped Dani to her feet.

"What should we do?" Dani asked. Iggy hesitated, then looked around to see that all of them were staring at him, waiting for him to answer the question.

"Uh… why are you all glaring at me?! I don't know!" he muttered, grabbing his temples in stress.

"I thought you were the guy with a plan!" Sam protested.

"Not for a situation like this! My entire reality was completely flipped on its head today, so please understand that I'm having a hard time thinking at the moment!" he snapped, trying to think of some sort of plan.

"We need Niko…" Sam determined monotonously. Felix instantly looked at her like she was out of her mind.

"Sam… no. He's in extremely poor condition. He needs rest," he argued.

"Felix, I appreciate the concern, but I know my brother, and I know he can handle a lot. Besides, if we don't do anything about this soon, we'll be fried fish," Sam retorted.

"Sam, please! I can't let Niko out there in good conscience! You saw what those people did to him before. They want to kill him, and they will if we give them that chance again!" Felix yelled, something he normally doesn't do.

"Unfortunately, it's not your decision," a voice chastised from behind them. Everyone whirled around, to see the dark inkling that they were just speaking of. His face was full of determination, and despite his many injuries, seemed to be holding himself together.

"Niko!" Iggy exclaimed, actually feeling a bit of relief. Felix looked disappointed.

"You're not healed yet…" Felix grumbled. Niko smiled gratefully at the young medic.

"You saved my life, kid. I believe I owe you the same. But, as I said, it's not your decision to make. I'm wanted by SAIL. And I'm going to give them exactly what they want," Niko determined, raising his gaze to the sky, scowling at the sight. Felix sighed, realizing he couldn't stop him.

"If you must…" he muttered.

"Um… Niko?" Sam started. "Wouldn't giving them exactly what they want be a stupid thing to do?" she asked him with a puzzled mien.

"Not quite. I'm sure Annabeth is convinced that I'm mentally incapable of facing her again. Her tactic was to break my heart, so that I wouldn't come back to stop her," he speculated.

"What makes you say that?" she replied out of curiosity.

"Because she's afraid of me," Niko whispered back. He then raised his finger to Iggy.

"And she's even more afraid of him," he explained.

"Why?!" Iggy demanded, once again feeling afraid of himself. Niko walked over to his younger brother and rested his palm on the boy's shoulder.

"It's simple. You're the only one who can stop her. That's why she sacrificed everything to try to capture you," he explained.

"But they've had multiple opportunities to capture me! Jack found me alone before. Alex was deceiving us the whole time. Why didn't they take me then?" he demanded.

"Well, as I said, you're the only one who can stop her. However, I'm the only one who can stop _her_ from taking _you._ Don't you remember in the alley? I saved you from SAIL operatives trying to take you away. How? Because I've been looking out for you and your sister ever since you arrived in Inkopolis," he admitted with a noble glance at Sam. She seemed surprised, but remained quiet, still listening.

"…yeah! Like how you gave me the blue Aerospray," he recalled. Iggy's friends all seemed confused.

"Wait, Niko gave that to you? I thought you said Sheldon did…" Dani challenged.

"Um… sorry. I was just too nervous to say anything about my brother back then," he admitted.

"Anyway…" Niko interrupted. "Annabeth organized for you to be captured. But she soon realized that there was no way she could achieve that while I was still on the loose. So, she had to get rid of me first," he replied. Iggy still didn't seem satisfied as he shook his head.

"They've had multiple opportunities to kill you too," he pointed out. Niko frowned, as he was reminded of something he didn't want to discuss.

"Ignacio… look, Annabeth hates me. I don't think I'll ever truly know why, but she only wishes pain and suffering upon me. At first, I never understood why she kept me alive for so long. But, as you remember, she wanted me to not only fall witness to the dawn of Igneous, but to cause it. She wanted me to bear that guilt…" he trailed off, a chill running through his body.

"Am I the only one who has no idea what any of this means?" Felix asked, forcing an innocent look.

"Shhhh!" Sam urged, still wanting to hear more of Niko's words.

"So, yeah. Annabeth will now assume that I'm too weak to protect you, which is why she's making her final, biggest attempt to take you down," he explained, as he gestured to the sky. "And this is it. This is our last chance to stop her. And we can. I may not have the power of an inkarnate, but with my guidance, you can defeat her with your power," he told his brother with a valiant smile.

"B-But I've never f-fought someone before! I just found out about all of this hours ago! What if I'm not ready?!" Iggy demanded in a fearful tone.

"I know you're ready!" he insisted. "Please, Ignacio. I hate to say it but… we have no choice," he admitted. Iggy approached his brother, and very gently wrapped his arms around him, careful not to touch his wounds.

"I'm scared…" he whispered.

"I am too," Niko whispered back. They pulled away from each other, and Niko looked him in the eye. "You are such an amazing inkling. You're smart, strong, and you may not realize it, but you're brave," Niko insisted.

Iggy barely smiled. He felt soothed, and even though he was more stressed than he ever had been in his entire life, he felt a glimpse of hope. But before he could give his thanks, he was interrupted by a high-pitched ringing of microphone feedback.

"Good afternoon Inkopolis!" a voice boomed throughout the plaza. All five inklings shuddered. It was Annabeth's gruff masculine voice she used to hide her identity.

"This is General Ace of the government agency, Team SAIL, speaking on behalf of the current situation. As you might be able to tell, an ill fate is falling upon our beloved city. We are fulfilling our duties in protecting this city from a rogue enemy known as Igneous. This individual is loose within the city, and we will take any means necessary to stop this fiend from hurting anyone. Stay fresh, but also, stay safe!" she finished, the voice falling silent after that.

"Hypocrites…" Sam muttered with distaste.

"We have to evacuate the city immediately," Niko ordered. Felix stifled a chuckle.

"Um… not to be rude, but are you sure you want to save the city in just your undies? Not to mention Iggy's completely charred clothes," the blue inkling remarked. Niko, already anticipating his comment, revealed that he had a brand new Black Inky Rider and pair of jeans hidden inside the bunker.

"What about me?" Iggy asked, seeing only one change of clothes. To his surprise, Niko handed over his jacket and jeans. He glanced at the clothes in confusion.

"Wait, these are for me?!" he asked in shock. Niko nodded, placing his hands on his hips.

"Heh, yeah. Might be a bit oversized for you, but it's all I have, and we don't have time to go shopping. Go ahead and change behind the bunker's entrance," he insisted.

"Wait, but what are you going to wear?" he asked, since Niko was still hardly clothed. Niko managed to smile a bit.

"I'm glad you asked," he replied smugly.

Niko held up his wrist for everyone to see. Everyone noticed that there was a bulky-looking watch fastened on his arm, which normally wasn't there. Niko raised the watch in front of his face, and carefully twisted a mechanism on the front of the watch. Multiple mechanical clicking sounds began to emanate from the device, and everyone watched in awe as thin components began advancing across Niko's skin, coating his arm in a thin coat of dark metal. The thin layer quickly spread all across his body, and within just a few seconds, Niko was wearing a full suit of thin armor.

"Impossible…" Iggy whispered, completely mind blown by the technology. Niko examined himself proudly, also impressed by the strange armor.

"Impressive, isn't it? It's nano-technology. Concentrated ink is stored in the 'watch' which is actually a housing unit, and the ink spreads and materializes into flexible, light, but sturdy armor," Niko explained, showing off the form-fitting suit.

"So cool…" Iggy marveled, his inner nerd jumping up and down for joy.

"Okay. I have two questions. First, where the hell did you get that, and second, why don't we all have one of those?!" Sam demanded.

"I only have one, actually. It was a gift from an old friend back when I was a part of Team SAIL. And before you ask why I haven't been wearing this the whole time, it's a one-time use prototype. Designed by PowerTech," Niko explained.

"Well, I know what I want for my birthday this year…" Felix trailed off, daydreaming about prancing around in his own PowerTech suit. Before Dani could chastise him, another lightning strike impacted the ground nearby, causing the ground to shake.

"GAH! That gives me a heart attack every time!" Dani shrieked, clinging to Iggy's arm. Niko gave an urgent glare at his younger brother.

"Alright, no more time to waste. Go put those clothes on, we need to move before the entire city is destroyed," Niko explained. Iggy nodded, and quickly ducked behind the porta-potty with his change of clothes. As soon as he disappeared from view, Niko hurriedly waved his arms to signal the others to come in closer. They all confusedly obeyed, coming much closer to him.

"I need you all to promise me something," he started; he was speaking in a whisper. "I know this has been a crazy day, and you might have a million questions for Iggy regarding his newfound abilities. But you know what? Can it. Don't ask a single one of your questions, and I don't care if they're SUPER important. No. Iggy is dealing with enough, who knows just how mentally destroyed he is. Just… please don't bring it up. I'll explain once all this is over," he urged. Everyone exchanged nervous glances, and collectively nodded, all of them feeling sympathy for the poor inkling. Said boy walked out from behind the bunker, wearing Niko's clothes. Dani smirked at the sight.

"Wow, you're really starting to look like your brother, black tentacles and all," she observed. Iggy's eyes dilated.

"Black tentacles?! What are you talking about?!" the boy demanded, his physical change unbeknownst to him prior to the revelation. Dani chuckled as she reached for her phone, and activated her camera. She handed the phone over to Iggy, where he did a double take at the sight of his tentacles.

"Holy… when did this happen?!" he demanded.

"Annabeth did it to you earlier. She's also responsible for why I look like this. But please, we're wasting time," he insisted, giving a slightly disappointed glare at Dani. The girl was initially confused, but then she realized that maybe she shouldn't have brought it up, causing her to feel slightly guilty.

"Where are we even going?" Sam wondered aloud.

"The current objective is to evacuate citizens. I'm willing to bet that Annabeth doesn't care for civilian casualties. Not at this phase. She'll eliminate everything to get her hands on my brother," he told them. Iggy gave a disturbed look at Niko, frightened by the way he phrased that. Niko sensed his brother's discomfort. "But we won't let that happen," he assured. "Let's get to the plaza," he finished.

They all followed the dark inkling over to the fence that separated them from the plaza. He leaned back, sticking his foot up into the air, then slammed it forward with extreme force right into the fence. The fence keeled over, revealing Inkopolis Plaza, which was still brimming with panicked teenaged inklings.

"I'll keep an eye open for any injured civilians," Felix reported, as they made their way towards the center of the Plaza.

"Let's evacuate the shops first," Iggy suggested. Niko nodded, proceeding to lead the others to Ammo Knights to start.

"Samantha, you evacuate Cooler Heads. Felix, get Jelly Fresh, and Dani, Shrimp Kicks. Iggy and I will warn Sheldon," he ordered, moving into Ammo Knights.

…

"Freeze!" Sheldon commanded, pointing a Hydra Splatling in the direction of the Galiano brothers.

"H-Hey! Don't sh-shoot!" Iggy stammered, intimidated by the normally docile shopkeeper. Sheldon turned off the engine of the weapon when he realized who his visitors were.

"Oh! I'm terribly sorry!" he apologized, moving the weapon away from them.

"We're here to help Sheldon," Niko explained, now that the horseshoe crab was calm.

"Oh! Yes! Yes! Again, I apologize for my rash behavior. I'm just on edge due to these dire circumstances…" he explained, dusting himself off. He adjusted his specs to focus on the two boys, but became puzzled when he noticed Iggy.

"Iggy? Is that you again? You look so much different than you did earlier today," he observed, trying not to stare at his black tentacles.

"Right…" Iggy replied, still mentally adjusting himself to his new look. Sheldon shifted his gaze to the older inkling.

"By heck! That suit you're wearing! That's fascinating technology! Where on earth did you find that?!" Sheldon demanded, completely enthralled at the sight of Niko's armor.

"Sheldon, it is extremely dangerous to be in Inkopolis as of now, especially the plaza. We're here to inform you that you must evacuate immediately," Niko urged, completely ignoring his question. The shopkeeper's facial expression saddened, as the poor man was filled with dismay.

"Oh dear… is that so? Well, that surely is unfortunate… OH WAIT!" Sheldon exclaimed in realization. Niko furrowed his brow in reaction to the sudden eureka.

"We don't have time to wait!" he replied impatiently.

"No! No! I have a cellar! My large storage cellar! It's massive! It could capacitate hundreds of civilians, potentially keeping them safe from whatever's going on outside, no?" the enthusiastic crustacean marveled. Iggy and Niko exchanged impressed looks.

"That's actually not a bad idea…" Iggy mumbled, rubbing his chin. Niko nodded in affirmation.

"That sounds like an excellent plan, my brother and I will go gather the remaining citizens within the plaza. Sheldon, you go open your cellar and make sure it's accessible. We'll be right back," he declared, making sure Sheldon cooperated.

"Yes! Yes! Will do!" Sheldon replied, then began carrying out his order. Without waiting another moment, Niko spun around and barreled out of the door back into the plaza. Iggy quickly followed after.

…

Immediately after leaving Ammo Knights, Iggy noticed that the wind had only gotten stronger, and the clouds were even darker and lower than before, with lightning lighting up the sky at a greater frequency. Iggy nervously gazed at Niko.

"It's getting worse… we need to hurry," he urgently suggested. Niko gritted his teeth as he stared angrily at the sky. He shook himself, desperately trying not to have an outburst of anger. Seconds later, Dani, Felix, Sam, as well as the shopkeepers and a few confused inklings stepped out of Booyah Base. Niko cleared his throat.

"People of Inkopolis! Extreme danger approaches our city approaches our city! Please hastily make your way to Ammo Knights, Sheldon will provide safety for the time being," Niko shouted as loud as he could, so that all residents of the plaza could hear him. Everyone froze. The dark inkling furrowed his brow in annoyance while everyone just stared at him silently.

"NOW!" he screamed. That got them moving. Inklings quickly began making their way to the weapons shop, filing inside one by one as Sheldon led them into the cellar. Iggy began jogging to the east side of the plaza.

"Where are you going?!" Niko demanded.

"The café! People are still inside!" he replied, before moving inside of the café. Niko exhaled slowly, as he turned around to see the others waiting for further instruction.

"Okay, you three take cover in the cellar. Iggy and I will take care of SAIL," he ordered, directing them with his finger towards Ammo Knights.

"Oh no you don't! No way! If you can fight with all of your injuries, then we can too!" Sam retorted, stubbornly standing her ground.

"I'm not letting them get away with what they did to Iggy. Or anyone else," Dani chimed in.

"I'm sorry Niko, I won't pass up an opportunity to help others. This is what I live for," Felix added. Niko violently shook his head.

"No! Do you not remember who we're dealing with?! They have the power of Glacies and Fulgurus on their side! They could kill any of you in seconds!" he roared.

"We have Igneous!" Sam retorted.

"And you," Dani added. Felix calmly approached Niko and folded his arms.

"I instructed you not to come here and fight, but you did it anyway. Well, it's time for me to do the same. I'm not leaving your side," the boy insisted. He reached for his belt and raised his water-filled Splattershot Jr., prompting his friends to do the same. The dark inkling hesitated for a moment, but knew that he was dealing with the most stubborn inklings on the planet.

"…don't get killed. That's all I have to say to you," Niko grumbled, moving towards the center of the plaza. The three of them exchanged victorious praise, both terrified but elated to help fight back. Iggy re-emerged from the café, with the remaining citizens quickly jogging into Ammo Knights. He gave Niko a thumbs-up.

"I think that's every-" Iggy started but was quickly cut off by a bone-chilling crash. Niko spun around towards the sound, and felt butterflies when he saw the source.

Annabeth had jumped down from somewhere, by the way she was positioned, most likely Inkopolis Tower. She looked calm and collected; small electrical tendrils danced all around her body. She stood up from her kneeled position, straightening herself into perfect posture as she smiled coldly at Iggy. The boy shuddered, her piercing gaze making him feel weak.

Not long after, Alex Boucher jumped from the tower, landing right beside her, clothed in a mysterious white outfit: a white Squinja uniform with a large hood. He was scowling at his opponents, his kind façade a distant memory.

Dozens of SAIL operatives marched out from an Alley, assembling in a linear formation around the two rouge inkarnate hosts. They were all teenaged inklings, all dressed in Camo Zipped Hoodies, with Special Forces Berets and Moto Boots. None of them seemed disturbed by the fact that Annabeth and Alex possessed the power of inkarnates, their enemies.

Sam and the twins strafed towards Niko's left side, and Iggy joined his right. The five of them faced SAIL's army, taking a moment to take the situation in as reality. They all exchanged one final glance of valiance, mentally cheering each other on. Niko returned his gaze, setting it right on Annabeth. She was masking her surprise of his presence, and he could sense it.

"Nos pugnare simul plura," Niko recited.

Iggy exhaled out all of his stress. The final fight had finally begun.


	28. Chapter 28 - We Fight

{-}

A younger Niko sat quietly to himself, enjoying a hot cup of milk tea in candlelight. It was uncommon for him to be able to relax on work nights, he was usually patrolling around the many corridors of SAIL HQ, and on weekends he would usually take his girlfriend on an evening date, or a compete in a few splatfest matches. But that night, he was told by the battalion commander that he could take the night off, and enjoy himself. He was so relaxed, the feeling of the warm tea caused him to nearly drift off to sleep in his recliner. Until, a knock at his door. Niko stood from his chair and moved towards the door to answer it. He opened it, and to his surprise, his girlfriend Annabeth stood before him.

"Evening, hun," Niko whispered, smiling at the sight of her, though she didn't seem too cheery.

"Hello, Nicolás. Sorry for not calling in advance, but… we need to talk," she admitted in a dull tone. Niko's heart sank slightly.

"Ah…" he responded, moving out of the way so she could come inside. She silently entered his room, the candlelight causing her faint blue tentacles and white dress to seemingly glow.

"We've been using our radars scans for energy spikes, today we scanned your hometown," she started, sitting down on his couch. Niko furrowed his brow and joined her on the seat.

"Oh? Searching for inkarnates outside of the city again?" he asked for clarification. The girl nodded, still seeming a bit tense.

"Yes…" she answered. Niko waited for her to say more, but they just sat in awkward silence for a while before Niko became impatient.

"…Annabeth? What's wrong?" he asked, starting to feel slightly unwell.

"Our scanners picked up energy spikes… coming right from your childhood home," she blurted, staring at him to see his reaction. He blinked, completely rendered speechless. Annabeth sighed. "After extensive research on your family records, we have reason to believe that your brother… Iggy was his name? He… he possesses an inkarnate. A seemingly very powerful one," she revealed. This information hit Niko like a brick wall, and he suddenly felt in extreme danger.

"…it can't be true…" he mumbled, unsure how to react.

"Unfortunately, there's no other explanation. These readings are undoubtedly that of an ancient power," she unveiled, moving her hand to his and grasping it tightly. She seemed sympathetic… but something felt off about her. Niko couldn't place it, and he was growing more nervous after every passing second. "I'm sorry, but… we have to neutralize all inkarnates. No matter who they-" Niko scowled at her with complete shock and distaste.

"NO!" he screamed at her, rising from the couch and yanking his hand away.

"Niko…" she started, but his anger was too strong.

"My brother… I don't care if he's the most wanted inkling alive, you are not taking him away from me!" he hissed, not even guilty for screaming at his girlfriend.

"It's not a matter of debate. We have to do our job. Regardless of circumstances… you know this," she insisted, her tone becoming more brash. Niko glared at her angrily.

"I won't. If you pursue this, I'm done with SAIL, and I'm done with YOU!" he shouted, letting his emotions take control of his words. Annabeth raised her eyebrows, shocked he would say such things.

"…well you certainly feel strongly about this," she pointed out, deep in thought as she refused to keep eye contact with him.

"Yeah, no shit. It's my brother's life! Not to mention my mother and sister would be devastated… they probably already hate me considering I'm not even allowed to talk to them. Annabeth, I'm sorry, but I won't let them hurt my brother," he insisted. She looked up at him inquisitively.

"Them?" she asked, appalled by his choice of words. "So, you're not including yourself in this?" she asked him, standing from the couch. Niko shook his head.

"Like I said, if you go after my family, I'm done with SAIL," he reminded her.

"I see…" she said, pacing around him. "Well… I guess that would make you and I enemies," she determined, her voice eerily calm. Niko frowned, not liking her demeanor.

"No… come on… Annabeth please…" he urged, his heart now torn. She quickly spun towards him, and quickly outstretched her hand. A small bolt of lightning shot out from her fingertips, knocking Niko down. Niko winced from the stinging pain of the electricity, and looked up at his girlfriend in horror. She moved in closer, towered over him ominously.

"You've made a foolish mistake," she thundered, leaning in close to him. Niko could barely muster a whimper as she grabbed him by the collar, and hoisted him from the ground. "CODE WHITE!" she screamed, though not directed towards Niko.

Only a few seconds passed before his front door burst open, and standing in the frame, was a white cloaked figure, it's face obscured by a hood. The mysterious individual marched towards Annabeth and Niko, raising its hands in the air. A haze of frost appeared around each of its hands, and it sharply jabbed its hands right into Niko's abdomen.

"AHHH!" Niko screamed, the cold hands burning him. He felt chills flow through his entire body, causing him to feel weak. Annabeth grinned at him, her psychotic nature making a debut.

"We could have done great things together," Annabeth hissed. She began sending small shocks through his body. He writhed from the pain and the shocks jolting through his body. His tentacles darkened, his ink becoming chemically altered. His life began to flash before his eyes.

 _No… this can't be the end…_ He thought to himself. He felt himself fading away. If he didn't act fast, he was going to die. He scowled as he felt one last burst of strength. He purposely let his body go limp, acting like he lost consciousness. Annabeth let up, and signaled for the white-cloaked figure to hold off as well, as Niko crumpled to the floor. She eyed him intently, searching for signs of life. Niko's eyes shot open, and he instantly spun his body, sending his feet right into Annabeth's shins.

"ACK!" she screamed, toppling over from the pain. The cloaked individual tried to strike back, but Niko quickly sprang to his feet, dodging a sharp icicle thrown at him from his opponent. He quickly advanced, grabbing its head, and then slamming it onto his knee, knocking the inkling out cold. He sprinted towards the door, but not before quickly grabbing his computer drive and PowerTech housing unit.

"STOP!" Annabeth screamed, shooting electricity at him, but Niko barely dodged as he barreled out of his room door, sprinting down the hall towards the escape elevator, belongings in hand, tears in his eyes.

{-}

Niko refocused his attention on the present, his flashback giving him a new sense of determination to save his brother. He met eyes with Annabeth, who was glaring at him from behind the many soldiers on her side. She turned and whispered something to Alex.

"I'm going to kill Nicolás first. Without him, the boy will be clueless. You focus on keeping Igneous at bay," she commanded. Alex nodded once, ready to obey.

"SQUADRON! ATTACK!" Annabeth screamed, thrusting her fist into the air. A loud thunderclap surged through the plaza, as the army of inklings charged the five rebels.

"For Inkopolis," Niko recited, as he clenched his fists and readied himself in a fighting position. The five of them spread out, so their forces weren't so concentrated. Felix, Sam, and Dani began firing water at the soldiers. Niko fought hand-to-hand with any operative that came close to him, all of them being severely outmatched as he pummeled them one by one. Iggy willed fire to appear in his hands, but was timid when he noticed the flames were very small. He tried forming another fireball like he did in SAIL's headquarters, but only a small puff of flame shot from his palms.

"Niko, what's going on?!" he shouted, unable to concentrate his power. The dark inkling fought off a soldier who was inches away from attacking Iggy, and scowled as he fended off any more who came close to them.

"Your anger, Ignacio! You need to feel the anger!" he willed, too busy fighting to set attention on his younger brother. He threw a hard punch at the nearest enemy, and noticed the rest were distracted with Sam and the twins, who seemed to be defending themselves well with their water-guns.

"It's not working!" Iggy complained, still unable to channel his energy into pyrokinesis. Niko ran close to his brother to assist him. "Igneous is the inkarnate of fire and rage, Igg. You have to feel the rage, it fuels your power!" he insisted.

"But it's not-" Iggy began, but stopped instantly when something horrific caught his eye. He twisted his head in Dani's direction, noticing she was having trouble holding off two operatives. She fired at one with her water, causing him to grunt and retreat, but the other one advanced, a sergeant, catching her off guard. Iggy watched as the sergeant punched Dani in the face. causing her to yelp and stumble backward. Immediately, Iggy felt a strong burn inside of him, as he sprinted over to Dani's side in a fury.

"RAHHH!" he screamed as he outstretched both of his arms towards the attacker. Large flames expelled from his hands surrounding the sergeant in an inferno. The foe's arm caught on fire, and he instantly began shrieking and waving it around sporadically. Iggy's scowl faded into terror as he witnessed the horrible pain he just inflicted. He felt sick to his stomach. Even though he attacked an enemy, he had never hurt anyone so intensely.

"Ughn… thanks, Iggy," Dani groaned, rubbing her face where she had been struck. She shot at another soldier with her splattershot, and ran to Iggy's side. "I wish I had powers…" she chuckled, trying really hard to hide how much pain she was in.

"I don't feel so good," Iggy groaned, as he clutched his abdomen. Dani frowned, worrying for her boyfriend.

"Iggy? You didn't get hurt, did you?!" she asked, quickly scanning his body for wounds. He groaned once more.

"I'm gonna…" he started, but lightly pushed Dani away from him, before vomiting behind the tree on the west side of the plaza.

"Oh gosh… are you going to be alright?!" she demanded, feeling even more worried. Iggy spit out the rest of the bile, and weakly leaned against the tree to catch his breath. Before Dani could say more, another operative approached, and Dani had to fend him off to protect the weakened inkling.

Meanwhile, Felix was fending off more soldiers on the east side, nearby the large ramp. He ducked under the spray of gray ink being shot at him, and unleashed a blast of water at the attacker. His opponent retreated, leaving Felix without any nearby opponents.

He noticed that his friend Iggy looked considerably weak, and his own sister was having a hard time defending the both of them. He quickly advanced towards the inkling who was fighting Dani, whose back was turned to him. He raised his Splattershot Jr. over his head, and slammed it down, causing the soldier to crumple to the floor. Dani wiped sweat from her forehead, as she took a moment to catch her breath.

"Thanks…" she wheezed, her face still throbbing from being punched earlier.

"What happened to Iggy?" he asked her, the boy in question still seeming to be in shock.

"I-I'll be f-fine," the boy finally spoke, though he was still jittery. Felix became even more concerned, as he approached his friend.

"He threw up… and he just seems really messed up in general," Dani reported to her brother.

"I NEED BACKUP!" Sam suddenly screamed from the other side of the plaza. Felix quickly looked towards his twin sister.

"Hold on," he urged, before spinning around and sprinting towards Sam's aide. Dani sighed, as she scanned the area for attackers, but surprisingly, they were all distracted by Niko, Felix, and Sam. She returned her attention to Iggy, who seemed to be regaining his composure.

"You good?" she asked him. He nodded, taking in deep breaths to calm his nerves.

"I-I think so… it just feels weird… burning people…" he admitted, shuddering from the mental picture of the sergeant. "These soldiers are kids too…" he pointed out. Dani looked off into the distance, somewhat understanding how he was feeling.

"I see…" she mumbled. She never realized how innocent the boy was, but she would rather him be innocent than sociopathic. "Just, try not to think about it, okay? It'll only make it worse," she explained, resting her palm on his face. He seemed to react very positively to her words and touch, some color returning to his face.

"I'll try…" he promised. "I just hate seeing you hurt…" he admitted, meeting eyes with her.

"I'll be okay, I promise. Just try to fight defensively, I'll look out for myself," she urged, smirking at him to try and boost his confidence.

"Alright… that sounds like a good idea," he replied, his energy perking back up. She nodded happily.

"Good! Now let's go see if- IGGY LOOK OUT!" she screamed, jumping back. Iggy couldn't react in time, as a wave of sleet washed over him in high velocity, the cold stinging his skin.

"Agh!" he complained, looking for the source of the attack. As expected, Alex Boucher was advancing towards him, his fingertips sparkling with a snowy mist.

"Fall back, Dani," Iggy commanded, keeping his voice calm. Alex smiled aggressively and moved his sights towards the girl. Iggy quickly sent an arc of fire right at the cold inkling, the flame hitting him straight on.

"AH!" he protested, but was seemingly only bothered by the attack. Iggy kept his eyes locked on his opponent.

"Keep your focus on me. I'm the one you want," Iggy spat, trying to sound intimidating, and actually succeeding to an extent. Alex scowled at the firey host.

"You've got nerve, Igneous," he taunted, slowly moving in, while Dani joined the others in fending off SAIL's army. "But you're foolish if you think you can outmatch me, I've been training for many years. Surrender now, to spare yourself pain," he suggested, a large dagger-like icicle forming in each of his hands. Iggy paused for a moment, and quickly wondered how Niko would respond in this situation. He suddenly thought of something, and stifled a sly smile.

"I may not have training… but fire melts ice," he retorted, in the strongest voice he could muster.

"GRAHHH!" Boucher screamed, as he charged in frustration. He was quick with his ice daggers, jabbing around towards Iggy, but the boy was quick, and managed to dodge most of his blows. Iggy rolled under a horizontal attack, and delivered a kick towards Alex's side. The Lieutenant winced, but quickly swung one of his blades right at Iggy's head. Luckily, Iggy moved his hand up at the last second, catching the blade in his left hand.

"Ah!" he yelped, the ice slightly slicing into his palm. But he held his grip. He willed his hand to become extremely hot, and Alex watched in frustration as the icy dagger melted into water and steam.

"Foolish BOY!" Alex screamed, using his second dagger to swipe at Iggy. The younger inkling jumped back just in time, and threw a small fireball at his opponent, knocking him to the ground.

"Stay down!" Iggy commanded, his hands in flames, ready to shoot again.

"Shut up!" Alex seethed, giving a death glare at the boy. "If only I captured you back when I slipped that sedative in your drink back at that concert! You wouldn't have RUINED EVERYTHING!" he shouted in angst. Iggy was caught off guard by that.

"…that was you?!" he asked, his random coma starting to make sense in hindsight.

"I was about to do it too. But your traitorous brother just HAD to be there at the hospital! By the time I'm done with you, I'll make sure to personally freeze him to death!" he threatened. Iggy gritted his teeth.

"Traitor?! Look at yourself!" he shouted. He sloppily threw multiple fireballs in Alex's direction, but the more experienced inkling dodged his attacks, tactically using his opportunity to throw snow into Iggy's eyes. "Agh!" the boy yelped, his vision now obscured. The lieutenant lifted his boot into the air, and sharply kicked Iggy back, causing the back of his head to hit the pavement.

"Time to snuff out this little flame," the icy inkling cooed, forming a large icicle in both of his hands.

"Not on my watch!" a voice shouted, and before Alex could counter, Sam's Splattershot Jr. slammed right against his ice spear, causing it to shatter into pieces.

"Not this again…" Alex groaned, glaring at the firebrand who had dare challenged him.

"I'm pretty sick of you too," Sam snapped. She aimed her weapon at him and began firing water at point blank range. Alex exhaled a chilly mist, causing all the water to solidify into ice and fall to the ground. He tried to swipe her Splattershot, but she pulled away, jamming her elbow into his face.

"GAH! You'll pay for that!" he hissed, reaching behind his back. He pulled out a splat bomb, filled with the corrosive gray ink, and hurled it right in her direction. Iggy quickly turned into a pink squid and slithered away. Sam ran as far as she could before the bomb detonated, spraying gray ink everywhere. A small drop landed on her cheek, which instantly began stinging intensely.

"Ahh… AHH!" Sam yelped, as she tried to wipe it on her Jacket sleeve, but all she did was smear it. Tears reflexively formed in her eyes, the stinging on her face stronger than any pain she had ever felt. She quickly had an idea, a stupid one, but it was all she could do. She aimed her own Splattershot at her face, and fired the water all over herself.

"SAM, NO!" Iggy screamed, as he transformed back into his humanoid form. The girl shuddered as the water began distilling her body, causing ink to drip from her pores. It was uncomfortable, but far less painful than the gray ink, which washed away in the water. Alex saw an open opportunity, and an evil grin appeared on his face.

"This should shut that mouth of yours!" he spat, before launching a powerful blast of mist at the girl. The water on Sam's skin froze, and before she could scream, a thin layer of ice encased her entire body, freezing her solid. At first, Iggy felt panicked and powerless, but quickly he felt another burst of energy. He expelled fire at the ground around Alex, causing his boots to catch on fire.

"UGH! You just won't give up!" he shouted, as he hopped around trying to put out the flames. Iggy ran to try and unfreeze Sam, but Alex quickly flung a shard of ice at him, which stuck right into his left arm.

"OW!" Iggy complained, gasping in horror at the ice that was lodged nearly an inch into his skin. Without thinking, he pulled it out and threw it to the ground. He gulped as Alex began marching towards him again.

"Take this, Frosty!" a familiar voice shouted. Alex furrowed his brow and spun around, but as soon as he did, he was met with a skateboard being slammed into his face. Iggy could hardly stifle a laugh when he noticed Felix was holding a skateboard in his hands, proud of his accomplishment.

"Nice job, Felix!" Dani praised, jogging over to them.

"Thanks!" the boy replied with a smug grin. "I found this skateboard lying around, my guess is that a citizen left it behind when they fled. I hope they don't mind me using it as a blunt weapon," he chuckled.

"Thanks, guys…" Iggy panted, keeping his eyes on the stunned Alex. Dani looked over at him and did a double take when she noticed Sam.

"Holy shit! Sam's a squidcicle! Iggy, thaw her out! My brother and I will hold off Alex," she instructed. Iggy hesitated, not wanting to leave his girlfriend and best friend in danger.

"…are you sure?" he asked her, purposely showing his reluctance. Felix approached him, and began spinning a gauze around Iggy's arm wound.

"We'll be okay, buddy. I promise," he assured, speaking in a calm, sincere tone. He ripped the gauze and carefully used his bandage tape to secure the gauze around Iggy's arm. "Go ahead and help your sister. She needs it," he recommended, before turning back and joining his twin sister's side, ready to keep Glacies at bay.

Iggy sighed, but he quickly moved his attention to Sam, who was still frozen solid. He lit his hands on fire, and carefully began melting the ice that encased her.

…

Niko slammed the last remaining soldier onto the ground. Before he could even take another breath, a tendril of lightning shot inches away from his face. Thunder echoed throughout the plaza, causing the ground to tremble. The dark inkling scowled, and finally faced Annabeth. The girl's shiny topaz eyes were piercing into his soul full of hatred.

She paced towards him, sparks of electricity twisting around each hand. She shot her arms forward, discharging more lightning towards him. Niko strafed, dodging her blasts with minimal effort. She didn't hesitate to unleash another bolt at him, to which he dodged again.

"You're sloppy," Niko chastised, remembering she would always say the same thing to him back when they used to train together.

"Sloppy lightning can still kill," she thundered, bracing herself for another attack.

"You still won't fight me nobly," he called out, trying to challenge her. Annabeth hesitated, the sparks in her hand shrinking as she listened. Niko stood his ground, as he raised his arms to his sides. "Are you too afraid to fight me without Fulgurus on your side?" he demanded, even smirking a bit. The shocks in her hands died away completely.

"So, you still remember how to persuade me… so be it. I'll kill you with my bare hands," she promised, returning to a traditional fighting position. Niko exhaled, focusing his energy, just like his teacher had always taught him. That very same teacher stood before him, with the intent of ending his life.

"You call it," he conceded, waiting for her mark. Annabeth took a breath for herself, giving one long stare at the dark inkling who seemed to never give up.

"Incipe," she recited, and immediately began advancing on him. Niko threw the first blow, Annabeth quickly blocked it with her arm. She followed by throwing a punch, where he matched it with his own arm. The two of them exchanged a few more hits, all of them being blocked by the other.

Annabeth ducked to the side, managing to get a quick jab into Niko's rib. He winced, but continuing in throwing punches as well as blocking hers. They were positioned in the southeast portion of the plaza, nearby the large ramp that led to the news studio. Annabeth began strafing up the ramp, as Niko kept pursuing her, not a second passing by where they weren't hitting each other. Annabeth braved a kick, but Niko grabbed hold of her foot, and twisted it. The girl winced, as she reached over and hit Niko in the face.

"Hngh…" he grunted, her hit stunning him for a moment. He managed to shove Annabeth back with her own leg, causing her to fall backward. They both used the opportunity to catch their breath, but Annabeth was soon on her feet again. Niko didn't waste any time. He advanced closer to her, continuing to fight as they slowly went farther up the ramp.

They passed the battle dojo, moving farther back towards the news studio. Lighting lit up the sky as they fought, the sound of thunder continuing to boom throughout the plaza. Niko's arms were sore from blocking all of her punches, and he was beginning to grow fatigued. He continued parrying her attacks, but soon enough, she was too quick for him. She shoved his arm to the side and her fist connected with his abdomen, right where his stitches were.

"AHHHHHH!" Niko wailed, doubling over, as his wound was reopened. Annabeth grinned maliciously as she paced over to him.

"You know, now that I think about it, I don't have to listen to your rules," she hissed. She quickly did a sweeping motion with her arms, sending small bolts of electricity at Niko. His body writhed and he fell to the ground, groaning in pain.

Annabeth reached down, grabbing ahold of his limp body and lifting him from the ground with all of her strength. She moved towards the railing, and shoved him off, causing him to fall down onto the pavement below. Before he could scream or scurry away, she jumped down, landing right on top of him with her boots.

"Gahhh…" Niko groaned, his voice growing distant and weaker. All of his stitches had been ripped open by Annabeth's attacks. He stayed down, too injured to fight back. She had won the duel.

…

"Sam?! SAM?!" Iggy demanded, noticing that she had regained consciousness. Iggy had been thawing her for a few minutes.

"Ughn… Iggy?" she asked, shivering from hypothermia. Luckily, she was wearing a ski jacket, but it didn't help her too much.

"It's okay… just rest, okay? We'll take care of it from here," he insisted, assisting her in sitting down. Iggy looked to find Felix and Dani, who were focusing on holding Alex back. They didn't seem to be having much difficulty, but something caught his eye.

Iggy did a double take when he saw his older brother being crushed by Annabeth. He quickly threw a large fireball right at her face, but the glow from the flame alerted her, and she jumped away at the last second, falling over to the ground. Iggy sprinted at her, with the sole intent of revenge. She extended her arm out towards him in a panic, unleashing small lightning bolts in his direction. Iggy expelled a fiery sphere in front of him, which absorbed all the electricity. Annabeth sighed.

"Poor child…" she started, shaking her head and speaking in a condescending tone. "It's not your fault you're the vessel of a murderous being," she told him, pacing around him in a circle like she did in his vision.

"…the same goes for you," he responded, holding back his anger. He was purposely looking away from Niko, for if he took in the full sight of his pain, he would break down completely.

"Right, you are," she replied, amused by his response. "Guess we're pretty similar after all," she taunted, looking up at the darkened sky.

"No," he argued. She glared at him with hate. Iggy stood his ground and stared back, no longer listening to his instinct to run away. "We may both be vessels… but unlike you, I don't share the murderous tendencies that inkarnates possess. You are chaotic. Your power has driven you mad!" Iggy snapped, his voice elevating with his last sentence.

"Then the same shall happen to you!" she retorted, sparks of electricity forming in her hands. Iggy steadied himself, and he willed fire on his fingertips as they faced each other.

"I'll die fighting for my family," Iggy promised, his scowl not faltering anymore. Annabeth chuckled.

"You are undoubtedly the brother of Nicolás Galiano…" she determined. And with that, they both sprinted towards each other.

…

The Kobayashi twins were still fighting off Lieutenant Boucher, both of them working together to keep him distracted.

"You two didn't have to die. We're trying to protect you! We're saving Inkopolis from that monster, all you're doing is slowing us down!" he yelled, hurling ice shards at the both of them. Felix dodged left, and Dani strafed right and scowled.

"Iggy doesn't want to hurt anybody! He doesn't deserve to die, and he's no monster, Alex. You are!" she retorted. Alex shook his head.

"You're blinded by your infatuation," he remarked, as a cold mist surrounding his hands. Felix stared upon the boy he used to call his friend. He didn't want to let go just yet.

"Alex… why do you want to do this? Why are you helping Annabeth? She's the monster… shouldn't you be protecting Inkopolis from her?" he asked, genuinely desiring an answer. Alex hesitated, the question actually seemed to calm him down slightly.

"Lady Annabeth… she gave me everything. She found out that I possessed the power of Glacies. I thought she would lock me up with all the others… instead, she revealed that she also had ancient power. She told me that we would keep each other's secret, and that we would one day rise above SAIL and become part of something greater," he vented. The twins were shocked, they saw genuine hurt in his eyes.

"I owe her my life," he admitted, looking off into the distance, gazing upon her as she fought Iggy. The three of them watched as the two inkarnates battled, large flames and bolts of electricity flying all over the place. Suddenly, Alex became self-aware of his emotions, and rage returned to his face.

"But the Galiano family… they had to come and ruin it all! Nicolás tried to take Annabeth away from me… and now, Igneous comes to kill the girl I LOVE!" he shouted. Felix and Dani exchanged looks of despair, not sure how to feel about the situation. He faced them again, aiming his hands at them.

"This is your last warning. Leave this place! Let us kill the Galianos and end this war. Stay, and I'll have to kill you too," he promised, waiting for them to flee. Felix stepped forward.

"I can't, Alex. But, once this is all over, I promise from the bottom of my heart… that-" before he could finish, Dani yanked him out of the way as Alex unleashed a blizzard where they once stood. Even though he missed, Alex continued to shoot the blizzard from his hands, all of it hitting one of the support beams of Inkopolis Tower. His eyes began to glow a bright icy blue, and his snow picked up velocity. Tears were running down his cheeks, and the twins watched silently as he broke down completely.

"Alex… you can still redeem yourself!" Felix yelled, his voice being drowned out by the loud hail. Suddenly, they heard a loud crack, coming from the support of the tower. Felix moved his gaze to where the ice and snow were aimed at. His eyes widened in fear when he saw that the ice was so cold that it was causing the metal to crack.

"FELIX, LOOK IN THE SKY!" Dani screamed, pointing towards the top of the tower. The boy raised his eyes, and felt his heart skip a beat when he noticed that the tower was off-center, slowly beginning to careen too far to one side. "We need to get the hell out of here!" she yelled, pulling her brother away. He shook her away, and quickly reached for Alex's arm.

"Alex, the tower is going to fall! Come with- AHHH!" he screamed as he made contact with Alex's skin. It was so cold that it burned his hand instantly.

"Felix, we have to go NOW!" she yelled, taking him by the hand and pulling him away, as they ran as fast as they could away from Inkopolis Plaza.

…

Sam, who was still trying to warm herself up, was watching her brother take on Annabeth. She was silently rooting for him, trying not to bring attention to herself. She furrowed her brow when she saw something in the distance. Dani and Felix were sprinting away from the Plaza.

 _That's odd…_ she thought to herself, but then she noticed the tower and felt sick to her stomach. She scrambled to her feet, and quickly began sprinting east, making her way out of the plaza.

Iggy continued fighting Annabeth, through despite her training, couldn't outmatch him with her inkarnate power. Iggy either dodged or absorbed every lightning blast, and Annabeth used her skill to separate his flames and counter his fireballs. Iggy noticed that the tower was slowly beginning to collapse.

"Stop! The tower!" he shouted at his opponent. Annabeth risked a look back, and legitimately was shocked by what she saw. She noticed Alex was right underneath where the tower was caving in.

"Lieutenant Boucher! Get out of there!" she shouted, snapping her fingers. The snap caused an extremely loud thunderclap, which got Alex's attention. But he did not run away.

"Boucher! Run!" she yelled, scowling at his stupidity. Still, he remained where he was, spraying high-velocity ice at the tower's base. The tower finally reached a breaking point, and careened to the ground. Iggy felt a sick feeling as he watched Alex disappear under the tower's rubble.

"ALEX!" Annabeth screamed, her heart shattering at the sight of losing the boy she trained for many years. She began weeping intensely, but her sobs sounded like screams.

"Annabeth… it doesn't have to end like this…" Iggy uttered, trying to stall so he could recollect his strength.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH, DEMON!" she hissed, discharging lighting that spread all across the ground. Iggy jumped to try and avoid it, but when he hit the ground he was hit with an intense shock.

"OW!" he yelped, the shockwave knocking him to his feet. He shook himself, and tried to stand up again.

"Stay DOOOOOOWN!" she commanded, sending a blast of lightning at his feet. Iggy was knocked over again, the shock so strong that his vision darkened and he began to feel dizzy.

"This ends NOW!" Annabeth determined. She closed her eyes and began moving her arms in a radial motion. The clouds above began moving at an even faster speed, flowing like a river. The wind picked up pace, and the electricity that danced around her body grew in size. Her eyes shot open, her strength now built. Her eyes were glowing a bright yellow, her teeth clenched in anger and grief.

As Annabeth flung her hands forward, the world seemed to move in slow motion. A lightning bolt much greater and brighter shot from her hands, the tendril creeping right towards Ignacio. He began turning his head away to brace for the blast, but saw something that stopped him in his movements. His older brother Niko, although mortally injured, was sprinting towards them, still in slow motion. His eyes were locked on the giant bolt of electricity, as he continued to run closer and closer. Iggy tried to reach out his hand to stop him, but it was already too late. Right before the bolt could strike it's intended target, Niko dove in front of his younger brother, intercepting the blast with his own body.

The bolt slammed into his heart, and knocked him a few feet back onto the ground. Iggy gasped in horror as the world began moving at a normal pace again. He stared at his brother's limp body, which was twitching from the excessive amount of energy that shot through his heart. Annabeth simply laughed, the glow fading from her eyes. But her laughter soon faltered when she was interrupted by something.

An indescribable scream emanated from Iggy, who glared daggers at Annabeth. He stood from the ground, as his entire body began glowing with a fiery aura. His own eyes began glowing like magma, as he marched towards Annabeth ominously.

"You will die for that," he remarked. But his voice was not his own. Yes, Iggy's voice was there, but there was a reverb… a second voice. The voice was deep and menacing, demonic even. Annabeth furrowed her brow at the sight of Iggy's state, slightly taking a few steps back.

"I-I said s-stay down!" she stammered, shooting another normal sized bolt at him. Iggy simply raised his palm, absorbing the bolt into a small ball of fire, and then hurling it away. "Get away from me!" she yelled, her voice breaking.

In response, Iggy threw his arms forward, unleashing an enormous flame from his hands. Annabeth watched in terror as the wave of fire washed over her, engulfing her completely in hot flame. Iggy continued the constant blast of fire, his sole intent to kill. After what seemed like an eternity, the fire died down, and the glow in his eyes faded away. Iggy felt like himself again, but wasted no time. He immediately sprinted to where Niko laid, still twitching from the powerful shock.

"Niko?! Niko, please… are you alive?! NIKO?!" he begged, shaking his brother's body. He heard his older brother groan weakly, and the dark inkling could barely move his head to look at him.

"…you did it, Igg… I'm so proud of you…" he mumbled, smiling meekly. Iggy shook his head sporadically.

"Niko, we need to get you to a hospital immediately," he stammered, trying to help the boy up. Niko lightly shook his head.

"Don't waste time… I need you to listen to me…" he explained, prompting Iggy to keep quiet.

"Iggy… you are the host of the ancient being Igneous. Legend speaks of Igneous being a dangerous… angry spirit. Back before the extinction of the true inkarnates, other inkarnates revered it. None crossed paths with it, because it was known to be unstable and chaotic…" he explained. Iggy seemed frightened, but continued listening out of respect. Niko's voice was slowing, his eyes were drooping.

"Ignacio… you are a wonderful, noble, and amazing inkling. Your friends are lucky to have you… and I know you really want to protect that girl. But, you have to promise me something… you have to promise me to keep your identity a secret. Refrain from abusing or using your power excessively… the more you draw power from Igneous… the more you become Igneous. You're a kind young man… I don't want you to become brash like me…" he explained.

"Oh…" Iggy mumbled, this heavy information making him feel slightly nauseous. "But… Niko… you're going to be here with me… right?" he demanded.

"…Igg… I told you to promise me…" he reminded him.

"I promise…" he insisted, clutching his brother's hand. "But… are you… are you going to…" he tried to ask, but faltered; he couldn't bring himself to say it.

"I love you… Ignacio," he whispered.

"I love you too…" Iggy replied.

He felt his heart shatter as he watched his brother breathe his final breath, as the life faded from his eyes.


	29. Chapter 29 - The End of the Beginning

Iggy stood in the middle of the ruined city. The city where thousands of young inklings once used to congregate with each other, now abandoned, as all citizens had fled elsewhere. That place… was known as Inkopolis.

The famous Inkopolis Tower, or at least, what was left of it, lied destroyed. The shaft of the tower had fallen onto what used to be a news studio. Sharp glass littered across the plaza, and nearly all of the concrete was unearthed. Black clouds hung in the sky, watching over the remains of the plaza, the distant sound of thunder occasionally booming.

The inkling had pale skin, in stark contrast to his tentacles, which were jet black; and he was wearing unconventional clothes: a black jacket and jeans. His facial expression was nearly non-existent; it merely reflected his feeling of emptiness. His eyes were wet with tears, as he stared unbelievingly at the figure before him… the lifeless body of someone he loved. Niko.

The black-haired inkling falls to his knees with his hands over his face. _Where did it all go so wrong?_ he thought to himself. _I don't deserve this… WHY?... WHY ME!?_ a voice silently screamed in his mind. He threw himself onto Niko's body and hugged him, sobbing profusely black tears, repeatedly slamming his fists into the ground, until his hand was raw and bleeding. He rolled onto his back, staring lifelessly towards the sky. Regret constantly stung his mind, as he whispered over and over: "I could have saved him… I could have saved him… I could have saved him…"

He then closed his eyes, as a last whisper escaped his lips.

"Where did it all go so wrong?"

"Iggy?!" a familiar voice called out, breaking the eerie silence. The boy didn't even glance over at the magenta inkling, as she carefully stepped over the rubble. "Is everything-" Sam started, but froze instantly when she saw her older brother, pale and lying on the ground. She stared at him in disbelief, completely paralyzed with denial and confusion.

"…Samantha… I couldn't save him…" he cried, hardly able to mouth any audible words. She still didn't move, her gaze never breaking from Niko's body.

The two of them just remained there, mourning, without a care as to anything else in their life. All they could comprehend was that Niko was dead. The brother that they had lost for four years, had perished only days after their reunion.

…

"Hello? Iggy? Sam? Is anyone there?" another voice called out. It was Felix. He and Dani were approaching the plaza, confused and tense. The Galiano siblings didn't respond, they couldn't bring themselves to do so.

"It's so quiet…" Dani whispered to her brother. And the inkling girl was correct. The sounds of war were a distant memory. But the silence was no more comforting. The twins gasped as they saw how much destruction was caused by the tower.

"This will take months to rebuild…" Felix mumbled somberly, shaking his head at the sight of the Squid Sister's studio completely demolished, along with Inkopolis Café and the battle dojo. "I hope Callie and Marie are alright," he pointed out. Dani nodded, but felt her heart sink when she noticed the battle lobby was inaccessible due to the tower's debris.

"…does this mean no more turf wars?" she asked, the realization almost too devastating to be true.

"I don't know… at least for a while prob-" Felix responded before cutting himself off. He noticed three familiar shapes in the distance. Sam standing stiff, Iggy on his knees, and Niko lying on the ground, motionless. "THERE THEY ARE!" Felix shouted, pointing towards them. They both felt a wave of relief wash over them. Since there were no signs of Annabeth, the inklings quickly approached their friends.

"Iggy!" Dani exclaimed, running towards her boyfriend. She smirked, wanting to give him the biggest hug he'd ever gotten. But as she moved closer, her joy quickly dissipated as she got a closer look at Niko's state. "Oh… oh no… F-Felix…" she stammered, pointing a trembling hand at the fallen boy, while using her other hand to cover her mouth.

"…clear the area," Felix ordered, failing to keep his voice from breaking. He sprinted past Iggy and Sam, and fell to his knees beside Niko's body. He lifted his palms over Niko's chest, and laced his hands together. He began giving the fallen inkling chest compressions, counting as he did so.

Sam broke from the sight. She began bawling as she clung to Iggy's arm, burying her face into it, unable to watch. Dani quickly moved over to Iggy's other side, to hold his hand as she silently watched her twin brother work.

When Felix's count reached thirty, he moved over to Niko's face. He used his fingers to lift his chin, and his other hand to open his mouth. Felix leaned in and breathed a full breath into Niko's mouth. He looked over at Niko's chest. He wasn't breathing. Felix repeated the process of giving a rescue breath and checking his patient's chest to see if he had returned. Still no luck. He internally began to panic as he moved back over to Niko's chest, starting the second set of compressions.

"Breathe… breathe Niko…" he muttered, as he continued pressing on Niko's chest again and again. After finishing the second set, he went in for two more rescue breaths. Still, Niko did not regain consciousness. Felix suddenly felt more stressed than he ever had been in his entire life. He began trembling as he forcefully pressed his hands down on Niko's chest again.

"Breathe!" he yelled. The fear of failure began taking over his emotional state. He felt tears spring to his eyes, but he did everything in his power to hold them back. He forced himself to stay strong for the others. He felt his hope fading when he neared the thirtieth compression of his final set.

"BREATHE, DAMN IT!" he screamed, finishing the final compression. He quickly moved in for two last rescue breaths. He took one last hopeful glance at Niko's chest.

It remained still.

Felix fell back onto the ground, gasping for air, the feeling of failure overwhelming him. The other three all broke into sobs, mourning the loss of their leader. Dani wrapped her arms around Iggy, clinging him tightly, never wanting to let go.

…

Iggy and Felix worked together to hoist Niko's body onto some wood that they had gathered from the debris. The four of them had constructed a small pedestal, about the size of a twin bed. Felix wiped his eyes and glanced at his best friend.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked meekly. Iggy nodded slowly, holding back a lot of the tears he still wanted to shed for his loss.

"It's what he always wanted…" he responded. Felix and the girls stood behind Iggy, sadly anticipating what was about to happen.

Iggy put his grief aside for a moment to shut his eyes, concentrating on his core. He was still getting used to his new abilities, so it still felt very unnatural, but at the same time… oddly familiar. Small flames appeared on his fingertips, and Iggy willed them to grow. The flames began dancing across his hands in a rapid speed, as if they were building power. The fire became brighter and hotter, and after a few seconds, fire expelled from his hands, engulfing Niko's body in flames.

Iggy put his hands back at his sides, feeling slightly lightheaded from the release of energy. But the fatigue was soon replaced with grief, as he stared sadly at his brother, watching him being cremated. He still couldn't believe it. He thought about how it could have been him. It would have been him. It _should_ have been him.

The three inklings continued watching sadly, not daring to speak another word. Iggy felt an urge to do something. He didn't even know if it was safe but he didn't care. Sam gasped as he slowly approached Niko's flaming body. Iggy tensed up as he entered the wall of fire, but to his relief, the flames just danced around his body, not causing him any harm. If anything, it calmed him down.

The broken-hearted boy leaned down, and grabbed his older brother's hand. He squeezed it tightly, remembering all the lessons he had learned, and all the wonderful times they had together, even before their reunion.

"I love you… Niko…" Iggy whispered. He leaned over and gave his brother one last hug, all while the others watched him, the sight once again making more tears fall from their eyes.


	30. Chapter 30 - Epilogue

**~ One Year Later ~**

It was a windy day. Those were always Iggy's favorite. The windy summer days. Still able feel the heat, but the calming breeze keeps the heat from being overwhelming. There was not a single cloud in the blue sky, lit up by the early afternoon sun. Turf wars were going on all around Inkopolis that day, nearly every young inkling was out battling for glory and cash. Except for Iggy.

He was perched on top of Moray Towers, blissfully enjoying the summer breeze. Moray Towers wasn't part of the current stage rotation, so it was mostly abandoned. It was quiet and serene, just like Iggy enjoyed.

The wind caused his crimson tentacles to sway ever so slightly. He had tried dying them back to his natural hot pink color, but after brightening them as much as possible, he was left with a blood red coloration.

He sighed to himself, peering down at the empty stage. His mind was drifting with nostalgia. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice the inkling girl approaching him.

"Hey bro," Sam's voice said calmly, dragging him out of his trance. He lazily looked behind him, noticing that the magenta inkling was towering over him, gazing off into the distance.

"Hey sis," he replied, returning his attention to the view before him. After a few seconds, she approached the edge near him, taking a seat in an empty spot nearby him. They sat together in silence for a while, just appreciating the lack of insanity in their lives. Sam caught Iggy's facial expression in the corner of her eye. He seemed to be thinking about something bittersweet.

"You miss her," she concluded aloud, staring deeply into her brother's eyes with sympathy. "Don't you?" she added, hoping that she wasn't peeving him. He nodded his head slowly.

"Yeah…" he responded, continuing to stare out. His body language sagged a bit when he thought about his girlfriend. Dani and Felix were forced to return to their hometown by their parents, after everything that happened that last summer. They still video chat occasionally, but it just wasn't the same.

"I miss them too…" Sam murmured, her mind also drifting into bittersweet memories. They only knew the Kobayashi twins for a week, but they felt like family. Iggy shifted his body, clearly somber.

"I miss everybody…" Iggy muttered shaking his head. Not only did he lose his girlfriend, he lost his best friend Felix. He even missed Jack Kawasaki, who sacrificed himself to save Iggy's life. And worst of all, he missed his brother, Niko, who passed away over a year ago.

Sam knew he was talking about their brother. She forced herself not to think too much about him. She didn't want to do that to herself. Even after an entire year, she was still shaken up about his death.

"I do too…" she agreed.

"It's so strange…" Iggy trailed off, resting his chin on both of his fists.

"What is?" Sam asked, still looking off into the distance.

"When we came to Inkopolis last year, it was just you and me. Nobody else. And at the time, that felt fine," he explained. His nostalgia faded into despair. "But ever since everything went crazy, even though it's just you and me… I feel so much lonelier than before…" he explained.

"Oh my gosh, yes. I feel the exact same way," his sister replied.

"And… I know we've met some friendly inklings in the last year, but… I don't feel nearly as close to any of them as I did with our _real_ friends," he ranted. Sam was about to agree with him, but she stopped herself, and thought of something better.

"Hey… at least we have each other," she told him. That sentiment caught Iggy off guard. He looked over to her in disbelief.

"Wow, Sam… that's really thoughtful… you're right," he responded, a small smile appearing on his face. The siblings stood from the edge and embraced each other in a long, heartfelt hug. Sam pulled away, smiling at her younger brother with pride.

"Y'know… as much as we bicker and fight… I'm really lucky to have a younger brother so amazing as you… I love you Ignacio!" she proclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. Iggy slightly blushed, slowly becoming uncomfortable.

"Uh… alright, Sam. No need to get weird," he begged. Sam noticed that he was bothered and got an evil gleam in her eye. She wasn't going to waste her opportunity.

"I LOVE MY IGGY-WIGGY!" she screamed so the entire world would hear. Iggy jumped in shock, but before he could scold her, he was suddenly attacked by Sam, tickling him to death.

"Ngh-SAM DON'T-hahahaha-STOP IT-hahahaha-I'M SERIOUS-hhaahaha-KNOCK IT OFF!" he yelled, shoving her off of him, trying to stifle his laughs and force a scowl. Sam roared with laughter, pointing at his face and giggling at his flustered pouty face, only causing him to become even redder.

"You look so stupid!" she chuckled.

"Evil squid…" Iggy muttered, turning away from the magenta inkling, but deep down, he couldn't help but smile. He really did love his sister, even if she was annoying almost every minute they were together.

"Too hilarious… but anyway. There's a reason I came to find you," she told him. That got Iggy's attention.

"Oh?" he asked, not having a clue as to what she could be talking about.

"Yeah, well… this is actually kind of… strange to me but… maybe you'll know what's up," she said slowly. Iggy didn't like the sound of that, but watched as she reached into her pocket, pulling out a small envelope. She inspected the label on it, making sure it was the correct letter, before gesturing it towards Iggy. He furrowed his brow.

"A letter… for me? From who?" he demanded, still not taking the letter from her. Sam gulped.

"Well… that's the thing. I don't know _why_ you'd get a message from… them… but something about it seems… off," she muttered, glaring at the envelope. Once again, Iggy didn't like the sound of that. He carefully snatched the envelope from his sister's hands, and read the label.

 _To Ignacio Galiano_

Looked about right. He glanced over at the top left of the letter to see the sender.

 _The Octarian Menace_

Iggy felt something twist inside of him. An unpleasant feeling surged throughout his entire body, but it was something more than just nervousness. He hadn't felt something like that in over a year. He recognized the feeling instantly. Whatever it was, he was sure it had to do with Igneous.

"Oh," he simply said, trying to mask his panic. _Why would they send me a letter?!_ he screamed in his mind. He almost didn't want to open it. He was enjoying his now mundane life. The fact that it even triggered his inkarnate instinct was already a giant red flag.

"Doesn't that bother you? Why would… the Octarians be contacting you? Do you think it's something bad?" Sam asked, looking at her brother with worry. She waited for him to move, but he just continued staring at the letter. "Aren't you going to open it?" she asked impatiently.

In response, Iggy slipped the envelope into his pocket. He exhaled slowly, trying to rid his stress with it. He forced himself to take his mind off the letter. He returned to his sitting position on the edge of the map, staring down at the battle stage where he first met his girlfriend. He was enjoying his peaceful day, and he wasn't going to let some stupid letter ruin his day. He opened his mouth to speak.

"It's probably nothing."

 _ **To Be Continued...**_

IGGY AND SAM WILL RETURN…

SUMMER 2019

* * *

 **Author's Notes**

 **And thaaaaaat's it! You've finally made it to the end! Congratulations and THANK YOU SO MUCH! Yep, as bittersweet as it is to say, "The Dawn of Igneous" had finally come to a close. Thank you for reading this far and reviewing, I'm absolutely touched by the feedback I've gotten, and I'm honored that I was able to provide a story that was satisfying!**

 **BUT DO NOT FRET!**

 **There is still much in store for this world, for this is only the beginning. Yes, Summer 2019 may seem far to be reunited with our heroes… HOWEVER! If your reading lust is insatiable, check out the next chronicle (WHICH TAKES PLACE IN THE SAME UNIVERSE AS TDOI!)**

" **The Mind Above All"**

 **You'll find this story on my profile, which has already begun. Go! What are you waiting for? The Saga continues! I've said it already… but this is only the beginning.**

 **PS: Since you've made it this far, I feel obligated to invite you to my Discord server! It's just a place to play video games, make friends, and chat! We even have a fangirl chat for this story! (Wow so pretentious of me…)**

 **The link is pinned on my twitter! kingquax53**

 **We'll welcome you with open and loving arms! I think that's it though! I encourage you to get started on "The Mind Above All", and I hope you all have a great rest of your day! (And if you're ever feeling down… imagine Felix smashing Alex in the head with a skateboard).**

 **Love, ~Quaxxi**


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